June 28, 2008	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Sani 23, 1429

FAISALABAD, June 27: Powerloom owners and workers reached an agreement on Friday to resolve their differences amicably.

A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting held under the chair of Punjab Minister for law Rana Sanaullah at the Circuit House.

A labour leader Mian Qayyum informed the minister that the main problems of the powerloom workers were about social security cards, raise in wages, immediate halt of wages deduction and the EOBI.

The provincial minister assured the workers that the government would make arrangements to provide them with basic facilities. He said that issues of social security cards and increase in wages would be resolved shortly.

The labourers staged protest demonstrations against the powerloom owners as some guards of a weaving factory owned by the PML-Q MPA, Ajmal Asif, opened fire on workers agitating against wage deduction. The indiscriminate firing left seven workers injured on Tuesday.

Sources privy to the meeting said two factory owners, Waheed Ramay and Mirza Shafiq told the minister that they were unable to resume their business until the government assures foolproof security. They said that the two-day strike by the powerloom owners caused Rs1 million loss to the national exchequer and left hundred of thousands of workers jobless.

They also asked the minister to withdraw cases instituted against Mr. Ajmal as well as against those, who torched a factory in Sadhar.

Sources said the minister said that the government would not withdraw the cases registered against the culprits, who fired at the workers and torched a factory. A sub committee headed by Peoples Party MPA Liaqat Ali was set up to evolve a mechanism for solution of all outstanding issues of workers and powerloom owners.

Meanwhile workers from different parts of the district staged a protest rally on Friday, which started from Sadhar and terminated at Zila Council.