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| January 3, 2002 | Thursday | Shawwal 18, 1422 |
Sugar mill workers demand benefits
BADIN, Jan 2: The workers of the Fauji Sugar Mills have condemned the management’s attitude and demanded restoration of their “fundamental rights”, including medical facilities, payment of bonuses and increments.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, the representatives of labour union, Khizar Hayat Khattak, Nazeer Ahmed Gujjar, Haji Muhammad Khan and others gave details of “injustices” they said they had been subjected to by the management.
The management has created a scary environment by forcing 600 employees to accept “voluntary retirement”, they said, adding “they were removed in the name of rightsizing.”
Those who were reluctant to agree to the scheme, were harassed, they alleged.
They said at least 60 workers were removed during the current season without rhyme or reason. They alleged the rights of workers including medical facilities, overtime, and payment of bonuses were usurped by the mills management, which was not ready even to listen to the grievances of the workers.
They deplored the attitude of Fauji Foundation’s managing director “for having deprived the workers of their due bonuses, while 12 bonuses were awarded to officer cadre working in air-conditioned head office in Islamabad.”
The workers’ leaders lamented that a charter of demands was presented to the mill management on Oct 1, 2000. After six months’ negotiations, the mill authorities designed a package of Rs44 lac in favour of workers, which was signed by the deputy general manager of the mill, but the same was neglected by the general manager.
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