June 15, 2006	Thursday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 18, 1427

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SWABI, June 14: Women workers are forced to work for 12 hours, instead of eight, in most industries in the Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate.

Talking to Dawn here on Wednesday, women workers complained of discrimination at the hands of industrialists and said that they were forced to work longer than men.

They said they had been working in the Gadoon industries for the last few years but their services were not regularised and when they raised the issue, many of them had to lose their jobs. The women workers requested not to publish their names.

When asked whether they had met labour department officials, they said that their very first attempt to approach the assistant labour director had created difficulties for them and the entrepreneurs had shifted the labour office from Topi to Swabi.

They said they were not interested in telling their story to the officials of the labour department because they always remained in league with the industrialists and created problems for them.

“It would tantamount to getting expulsion order if we tried to complain to these officials.”

“We know their track record and their approach,” said one of the workers.

They alleged that they have never seen the officials of the labour department visiting their factories to see the exploitative environment and hardship of women labourers.

The workers said neither the non-governmental organisations nor the provincial government took interest in the solution of their problems.