HYDERABAD: Workers of the Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) staged a demonstration on Thursday outside the local press club in protest against postponement of a referendum by the registrar of trade unions.

They raised slogans against the decision of re-polling scheduled for Nov 25.

Led by Bahram Khan Chang, Insaf Ali Lashari, Abdul Qayyum Bhatti, Imtiaz Kolachi, Ashfaq Ali, Bilawal Mallah and Niaz Hussain Chandio, the protesters demanded removal of the HDA director general and secretary. They said the registrar had acted on a letter written by the HDA secretary for his inability to organise re-polling.

They said that no union could get one third of the total registered votes in the previous referendum held on Aug 27, therefore, a referendum known as re-poll referendum was to be held between two unions. They called for holding of a referendum and warned that in case of failure, a movement would be launched against the HDA management.

Union general secretary Abdul Qayyum Bhatti alleged that the additional director labour of Hyderabad and corrupt HDA management wanted to deprive workers of their right to vote because they did not want a CBA union to struggle for workers’ salary and other issues.

He maintained that it did not suit the HDA management that an elected CBA union worked in the department and raised voice against corruption. He said a referendum must be held in the HDA, otherwise the responsibility would rest on the shoulders of the additional director labour.

Worker leaders demanded that the Sindh chief secretary and the secretary labour remove the additional director labour and appoint an honest officer in his place. They said action should be taken against the HDA management so that the referendum could be held again on the pattern of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2015