May 04, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 27, 1429

FAISALABAD, May 3: Though the government has announced Rs6,000 per month minimum salary for labourers, textile industrialists seem to be reluctant to implement the decision because of the crisis owing to ill-conceived policies, high energy rates, sluggish response of foreign customers and uncertain political situation in the country.

Talking to Dawn, All Pakistan Sizing Industries Association (APSIA) Chairman Mirza Mohammad Shafiq said: “Industrialists are not in a position to facilitate workforce with the new salary structure.”

He said the wage policy had been announced without resolving issues of the crisis-ridden textile sector.

He held responsible some industrialists without quoting their names for the severe textile crisis and said they did not ‘guide properly’ to the successive governments.

He said at least one million people were directly and indirectly associated with the textile sector in Faisalabad district.

Shafiq said the district had a large number of powerloom, dying, printing, sizing, processing and spinning units.

“Nowadays a number of workers are jobless owing to closure of different units.”

The APSIA chairman criticised the government for enhancing gas rates. He said fuel-producing countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran and Kuwait had been extending oil facility to their countrymen at cheaper rates while “in Pakistan the situation is different despite the fact that the country has rich gas reserves”.

Mirza Shafiq welcomed the government’s decision for the welfare of labour force, and said all stakeholders should be taken into confidence for a solution to their problems.

Former president of the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mian Aftab Ahmad said: “At present the textile sector of the country is in the throes of uncertainty which has rendered exporters unable to compete in international market.”

He said industrialists pinned hopes on the new government, though it did nothing for this sector yet.

He urged the government to announce a special relief package for the industry.

Mr Aftab categorically rejected extending Rs6,000 package to workforce and said: “It is another blow to the textile sector which can lead to a clash between industrialists and workers.”

On the other hand, Umer Yaqoob, a hosiery worker, regretted that minimum wage of Rs6,000 announced by Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani was not sufficient for labourers because of high inflation. He said the government should be cognisant of the problems of masses instead of announcing cosmetic measures.

He said the government should fix Rs8,000 minimum wage for unskilled labour.

He said labourers would ‘snatch’ their right from industrialists, if they refused to extend the new wages to them.