KARACHI, April 1: Trade union bodies are organizing a seminar on “Trade Union Agenda and Political Parties” at Lahore on April 14.

At a press conference at Karachi Press Club on Monday, leaders of the All Pakistan Trade Union Congress (APTUC), National Labour Federation (NLF) and National Trade Union Federation of Pakistan (NTUFP) said besides trade union organizations more than 60 political parties had been invited to participate in the seminar.

They said keeping in view the ensuing elections the political parties would be asked to present their plans for the workers, and how they planned to improve the lot of the working class after they formed the government.

They said the workers felt that elections were near, but none of the political parties had announced its manifesto in general and plans about their strategy to bring improvement in the lot workers in particular, so this seminar was being organized to begin a dialogue between representatives of the labour unions and political parties.

They said more than 250 representatives of labour unions from all over the country had also been invited to participate in the interactive seminar.

They said workers were concerned about the situation that while they formed an important segment component of voters and almost every political party was not only after their votes but had also used them to achieve its goals, but they had been left high and dry once parties entered the corridors of power.

They said almost every party termed workers the backbone of the nation’s economy, but not a single party had given any representation to workers on its central decision-making bodies.

They said now workers had become aware of these tactics of political parties, so they wanted to know about parties’ plans in order to be enabled to make an informed decision about the elections.

They said the economic condition of the country was not good, and the government’s policies, made at the instructions of international lending agencies, were affecting the masses and workers, so this time round they wanted to ensure that their welfare was not sacrificed by the government while formulating new policies.

Saleem Raza of the (NTUFP), Mohammed Islam of the NLF and Shaukat Ali of APTUC spoke at the press conference.