KARACHI, Oct 5: Workers of the Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Work on Thursday demanded lifting of the ban on trade union activities and said referendum be organized so that workers could elect their new CBA.

Speaking at a press conference at the press club, the representatives of a newly formed workers body – Karachi Shipyard Workers Solidarity Committee (KSWSC) they said if the ban was not lifted, they would launch a protest movement after Eid.

They further demanded that revengeful acts of the management against workers be stopped and baseless inquiries instituted against active members of the trade unions be called off immediately. They said the new organization – KSWSC – has been formed to launch protest movement till the legal and constitutional rights of the workers were restored.

They said only a friction of its business was being done with the defence related activities which has been made the basis of putting the ban on trade union activities. They said entire administration has been given to the naval officers and after the ban on trade union activities, the shipyard presents an atmosphere of a cantonment area.

They said that the ban was also in contravention of the ILO conventions 87 and 98 signed by the government, that give rights of formation of a union and to do collective bargaining for the workers and government was bound to follow them.

Labour leaders Saleem Raza, Habibuddin Junaidi, Nasir Mansoor, Ghani Zaman Awan and others also spoke.