|
|
|
| April 06, 2007 | Friday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 17, 1428 |
Better wages for kiln workers sought
NAUSHAHRO FEROZE, April 5: Pakistan Kiln Labour Union President Younus Rahu has called for fixing wages of kiln workers as according to him they are leading a very miserable life due to abject poverty.
Speaking at a press conference he said though workers begin their day at 4am and by 3pm are able to prepare 1,000-1,200 bricks for which one gets Rs90 to Rs100 which is insufficient to make both ends meet.
Their misery is compounded on Fridays and on other days when kilns are closed, especially during inclement weather, he said.
There are about 200 kilns in the district with around 150 to 250 workers at each furnace but unfortunately they are deprived of fixation of fair wages, Rahu added.
The labour leader distributed a written appeal of the ILO rules to which Pakistan is also a signatory, and the Evaluation Act 1992 according to which bonded or forced labour is banned while furnace owners are forcefully making the labours work by paying them in advance -- but at a very meagre wage.
Their demands to fix wages at Rs350 per 1,000 bricks, registration of kilns, issuance of social security cards to labourers, education and health facilities for their dependents are not so big he said adding, they are even not provided clean drinking water.
He said the DCO and taluka nazim visited the hunger strike camp on Wednesday and assured to call klin owners meeting on 9th of this month wherein the demands of workers will be accepted.
This assurance made the workers call off their hunger strike. However, he said, the work will remain suspended till the demands of labourers are not met.
Meanwhile, the activists of Labour Party Pakistan Moro, Progressive Youth Front and the PTCL Employees Union leader, Haji Khan Bhatti and workers staged demonstration in Moro in support of kiln workers’ demand.
They too, observed a token hunger strike for three hours.
|
|
|
|
