It is unfortunate that many workers of the country are kept deprived of their wages by industrialists and this unjust practice must stop, Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain said on Tuesday.
He was addressing a large gathering of workers at the Lal Qila Ground in Azizabad on the 25th Annual Silver Jubilee Convention of the MQM Labour Division.
“Workers should be paid their wages before their sweat dries up as instructed by Holy Prophet (peace be upon him),” the MQM chief said.
Hussain also appealed to industrialists and mill owners to regularise the services of daily wagers.
He said the country is facing economic problems, corruption is rampant and wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few families. “There is mismanagement and unchecked corruption due to which profit-making institutions are also collapsing one after the other,” he pointed out.
Hussain said instead of firing workers, corruption should be eliminated and people of strong moral fibre and integrity should be appointed.
“Corrupt people must be removed from all national institutions in order to save them,” he added.
Hussain demanded that the Pakistan Steel Mills, the Pakistan International Airlines, the Pakistan Railways, the Pakistan Machine Tools Factory and all other state institutions should be cleansed of corrupt officers.
He called for the implementation of the wage board award and said that journalists, reporters, technicians and others affiliated with newspapers and electronic media should be given their salaries on time.
The MQM chief said his party is in favour of labour unions in order to enable workers to raise their voices for their rights.
Mr Hussain said the law governing the Industrial Relations Organisation, under which labour unions work, is about to lapse on March 12 this year and it is a source of concern for labour organisations throughout the country. “The federal government must look into this matter immediately,” he demanded.
Referring to the act of restraining women from exercising their right to vote, Hussain declared that there is no democracy without the participation of women.
He said the by-elections in Mardan and Mianwali, where women are not allowed to cast votes, should be declared as “null and void”.
Hussain appealed to the Election Commission of Pakistan to bar candidates, who contrived to keep the women away from the polling process for a period of 10 years.
He also condemned the display of weapons during the recent by-elections and incidents of aerial firing.
Speaking on the situation in Balochistan, Hussain said it is necessary to find a solution to the problems of the province without further delay.
Referring to the physical torture on female polling staff by a candidate, Hussain stressed upon the Election Commission to look into the case on merit and on the strength of evidence.
