KARACHI, Jan 12: The Pakistan Workers Confederation (PWC), rejecting the Industrial Relations Ordinance (IRO) 2002, has said that if the ordinance is not abolished the workers will launch a protest movement from Jan 14.

Speaking at a workers meeting organized by the PWC, its chief Fareed Awan said that a large number of workers would be affected by the IRO as they had lost the right to join or form a trade union.

He said the IRO would strengthen the contract system and weaken healthy trade unionism. The workers who earlier used to get reinstated through the labour courts had now been left at the mercy of the management.

He said workers and employers had jointly given their proposals to the government so that those could be included in the labour policies, but the government, after agreeing to incorporate those recommendations, had gone back on its words and announced the anti-worker IRO.

He said if the IRO was not abolished the PWC would launch a country-wide protest movement. The movement would begin on Jan 14 with a demonstration at the Karachi Press Club at 3pm.