LAHORE, July 8: The Pakistan Workers Confederation has appealed to Prime Minister Mir Zafrullah Khan Jamali to discuss the important issues regarding industrial relations with representatives of workers immediately.

Federation president Gul Rehman, secretary-general Khurshid Ahmed and other leaders said in a statement that the prime minister should get the Industrial Relations Ordinance 2002 repealed because it had imposed restrictions on the trade union rights of workers in railway, banks, PPIA, Pakistan Mint and agriculture sector besides taking away the powers of labour courts, service tribunals and National Industrial Relations Commission to reinstate workers and grant them stay orders, in gross violation of the International Labour Organization Conventions ratified by the country.

They said that the prime minister should also order that the minimum wage of workers be fixed at Rs5,000 and the Wage Award for newspaper employees implemented in view of the rapid increase in the cost of living and the absence of a price control mechanism in the country. They said that the prime minister should also order immediate repeal of the Removal of Service Ordinance 2000 that provided for summary dismissals in violation of the basic norms of justice.

They criticized the practice of hiring contract and work-charged employees for jobs of a permanent nature and called for the regularization of services of all such employees. They also called for restoration of selection grade and move-over facilities for government employees and gratuity and commutation facilities for those retiring from service.