KARACHI, March 3: Industrial production on Friday nosedived to 10-30 per cent in the city’s big industrial estates, while in some other industrial areas it remained at 50 per cent because of strike called by political and religious parties against the blasphemous cartoons.
All the leading wholesale, retail and raw material markets remained completely shut through out the day, causing difficulties for the industrial units for selling their finished goods as well as procuring raw material.
Industrialists said that even the export shipments to foreign destinations could not be executed in the absence of transportation.
They said they could not manage to hold up the workers on overtime for Friday owing to uncertain city situation.
Attendance of workers remained thin in the industrial units due to absence of public transport which could not be fully resumed till the evening, thus causing huge losses to the stakeholders.
Many industries had already decided to observe Friday as the holiday by calling up the workers on Sunday to cover up Friday’s loss.
The real sufferers of the strike were daily workers in the industrial units. Daily wagers, who sit on the sidelines of the main roads, also lost their earnings due to complete shutdown.
Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI) chairman Gulzar Firoz said that only 25 per cent workers could turn up to their work, which means there was hardly any production and it can be considered as a complete shutdown of industrial activity in the area. More than 100,000 workers are employed in over 2,000 units in KATI area, of which 30-40 per cent are export-oriented units.
“The losses in terms of taxes and duties and other charges come to Rs250 million a day which is contributed by the KATI units to the national kitty,” he said.
Even exporters suffered losses for not meeting timely shipments due to non- availability of trawlers and containers. Many export commitments had been lost while scores of letters of credits (LCs) could not be opened.
“Has the strike made any impact on the EU or the EU is compensating for the economic and property loss caused by the strike and protests,” he asked.
“It is time to be more practical rather than sentimental as the country’s economy suffers badly instead of making any impact on the western countries,” Gulzar said in a pensive mood.
The industries also condemn the blasphemous caricatures and even foreign buyers also condemn it but it is not going to make any impact on the EU, he said, adding that it is time to protest peacefully and take up the matter with OIC and the UN rather than resorting to frequent strikes and protest that lead to destruction of property and hurt the industrial and trading activities.
“Even we cannot afford to boycott the European products at this moment as in case the Europe retaliates, there will be a massive closure of industries here as well as job loss of million of people,” he observed.
Site Association of Industry (SAI) chairman Ameen Bandukda said that 95 per cent of industries were closed which means almost 100 per cent production lost in the industrial estate on Friday.
Only those export-oriented industries had managed to hold up workers on over time which worked seven days a week, he said. The Site area has over 3,000 small to largescale industries in which 600,000 workers are employed, he added.
“This is not fair in making a regular feature of calling strikes. Friday’s strike should be assumed as the last strike,” he said, adding that the Site area contributes 40-50 per cent out of total Karachi’s revenue to the exchequer.
Executive Member of F.B. Area Association of Trade and Industry Idris Gigi said that less than 50 per cent of production was registered in the industrial units and the attendance of workers was recorded at 40-50 per cent.
North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry chairman Dawood Usman Jhakoora said that only 50 per cent of workers could turn up, hence production also remained at 50 per cent.
“The strike is considered as a serious injury to the industrial activity,” Jhakoora said, adding that “there should be some other way to record protests as strike causes daily production and revenue losses.”
