KARACHI: A rally of workers, including shop-breaking workers of Gadani, here Friday demanded of the government to announce national ship-breaking policy and withdraw heavy taxes from this crucial sector of the economy.
According to details, a big protest rally was staged a Gadani by the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) and Gadani Ship-breaking Workers Union on the occasion of the third anniversary of the martyrdom of 29 workers in Gadani ship-breaking fire mishap.
Addressing the rally, the speakers said three years have already passed to this tragedy, but the government of Balochistan so far has failed to provide legal protection to the ship-breaking workers. As a result of ship-breaking workers, today are compelled to work in the worst conditions. For the implementations of labour laws and health and safety is a distant dream. Despite the passage of three long years to no proper law-making for shipbreaking workers is done which could result in a big mishap. It is necessary that to bring the ship breaking in industrial sector proper lawmaking should be done. A draft bill made with extensive consultation of labours should be tabled in assembly at the earliest. Health and safety laws should implemented and contract labour system in this sector be ended.
The rally was led by NTFU central president Rafiq Baloch, and Union President Bashir Ahmed Mehmoodani. A large number of workers carrying flags and banners chanted slogans for their rights.
The speakers said that they have been lodging complaints about long against non-implementation of health and safety measures at the Gadani ship-breaking yards, but the government, yard owners and related departments of government have never taken these complaints seriously. They said that on November 01, 2016 and then in 2017 many big mishaps took place in Gadani ship-breaking yards in which more than 33 workers died and 54 others injured. They said these mishaps still continue.
They said Balochistan labour department, social security institutions, EOBI, environmental agencies, local police, administrations and owners of ships and labour contractors are responsible for the problems faced by the workers, as they are refusing to accept the constitutional and legal rights of the ship-breaking workers. They said workers are still being denied of their basic rights like appointment letters, union making, collective bargaining, social security and pension. They said that due to the flawed policies of the sitting government and its undemocratic steps ship-breaking industry has braved a huge loss. They said excessive taxes have made this ship-breaking yard empty and abandoned and thousands of labour of ship-breaking and iron re-rolling industries are rendered jobless.
