KARACHI: National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) joined hands with other labour organisations on Thursday to organise a protest in Sindh Industrial Trade Estate (SIT E) area to raise voice against violations of labour laws, lawlessness and harassment of workers claiming that the government and its related departments and agencies were fully supporting industrialists, who were exploiting workers.

The protest led by NTUF Sindh chapter president comrade Gul Rehman was attended by a large number of workers who staged a sit-in at the Habib Bank traffic intersection and protested for several hours.All at the protest were of the opinion that SITE, the oldest industrial estate of Pakistan, has become an epicentre of labour law violations.

Nasir Mansoor, NTUF`s central general secretary, said that SITE was the oldest industrial area of Pakistan where Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah had inaugurated the first industrial unit at Valika Textile Mills on September 26, 1947. `The more than 4,500 big and small industrial units in SITE have been playing a vital role in the economic development of Pakistan, where more than 600,000 worl(ers are directly or indirectly part of the production process. But sadly, this important industrial zone has virtually become a large jail for workers,` he said.

`With the exception of a few industrial units where there are labour unions present, the whole industrial area has become a den of lawlessness, harassment and suppression of workers. The rich owners of industrial units in SIT E have virtually purchased the corrupt bureaucracy of the Sindh labour department, social security, EOBI and other related departmentsand the hapless workers are left with no avenue to get their grievances redressed,` he claimed.

Habibuddin Junaidi, president of the Peoples Labour Bureau, said that like other industrial areas, more than 95 per cent of workers in SITE were deprived of written appointment letters.

`This is why hundreds of thousands of labourers have no legal identification as workers. A majority of industrial units in SITE have a contractual labour system where labour contractors do not even give them the minimum wage of Rs17,500,` he said, adding that in a majority of factories labourers had to work for more than eight hours a day and they did not get any overtime for the extra work.

Karamat Ali of National Labour Council said that besides SIT E area, there were hundreds of thousands of workers who work in industrial units, shops, restaurants and other workplaces in Nazimabad, Shershah, Baldia and Orangi Town. `However, only 70,000 among them are registered with social security institutions, which shows the dark nexus of the corrupt government officials and owners of workplaces.Meanwhile, SESSI, EOBI and other departments meant for the welfare of workers have been made no-go areas for workers and their true representatives. Labourers here are not even getting proper medical facilities,` he said.

Broken roads, overflowing gutters Zehra Khan, secretary-general of the HomeBased Women Workers Federation, said that SITE has a collapsed civic infrastructure including roads and streets.

`The gutters here overflow and there is no public transport for the people. Due to broken roads, there is dust and pollution everywhere, she observed.

Bakhat Zaman, general secretary SITE Labour Forum, said that complaints regarding violation of labour laws, the broken roads and collapsed infrastructure and lawlessness in industrial zones were made, but all in vain.

`Today thousands of workers are protesting here. If the situation remains unchanged, the workers in SITE along with the workers in other industrial areas would stage a sit-in infront of the Sindh Assembly till the acceptance of their demands,` it was said.

No appointment letters The protesters demanded all workers be issued written appointment letters, unskilled workers should be paid minimum wage of Rs17,500 per month and every worker be registered with social security and EOBI institutions and issued social security and pension cards.

They also demanded that an eight-hour worlcing day should be strictly implemented, illegal and unconstitutional contract labour system be ended and all illegally sacked workers be reinstated. Broken roads and infrastructure in SITE area should be immediately repaired, proper medical care and genuine medicines be given to workers in Valika Hospital and the rude attitude of hospital management towards workers should be changed.

Finally, all factories should be provided proper supply of electricity, gas and water.