LAHORE: Textile mill owners and workers observed a ‘black day’ on Tuesday and held a countrywide protest against what they described as the federal government’s failure to meet their demands aimed at reviving the viability of the textile industry.

The protest campaign was kicked off on Saturday by textile millers who held a token demonstration outside the offices of the Punjab chapter of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma).

Aptma, Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA), Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association, All Pakistan Cotton Power Looms Association, Council of Loom Owners and other relevant bodies also announced that they would hold a convention in Islamabad after Eidul Fitr to highlight their problems, which have led to decline in exports, closure of units and retrenchment.

Mill owners and factory workers held peaceful protests in front of various textile units in Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Faisalabad, Hyderabad and Peshawar. They put up banners inscribed with slogans against what they termed the government’s anti-industry, anti-labour and anti-export policies.

The protesters, most of them wearing black arm bands, expressed concern over non-allocation of funds in the budget for duty drawbacks on account of the Rs180 billion textile package.

They protested against levying of Rs3.63 per kWh surcharge in electricity bills, delays in release of sales tax refunds and declining exports due to the high cost of doing business.

The stakeholders in the sector are calling for release of a package worth Rs180bn, abolition of turnover and general infrastructure development taxes, quick refund of sales tax, fixed electricity and natural gas tariffs to do away with extra tax of Rs3.63 per unit on electricity, and an end to import of products from China and India.

The industry’s workers said they opposed all the policies that affected their daily needs. They said they sought protection of their jobs and improvements in the nation’s economy. They said they would continue their protest drive until their demands were met fully.

Furthermore, all the relevant bodies resolved that they would submit a dossier to the country’s leaders after marching on the parliament.

In Faisalabad, meanwhile, many of the factory workers who were taking part in protests against the government didn’t really know why they had been asked to take to the streets.

The factory owners of Khurrianwala and Shahkot roads hoisted black flags on their premises and organised demonstrations outside their units.

The factory workers and owners both demanded that the government save the domestic industry from Indian and Chinese products.

A handful of industrialists also held a brief protest demonstration outside the PTEA offices.

In Hyderabad, a large number of workers and industrialists of Nooriabad and Kotri held protests.

The demonstrations were organised by the Sindh and Balochistan chapter of Aptma in collaboration with executive club of the Trade and Industry Nooriabad and the Jamshoro Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Saleem Mubarak in Faisalabad and Gohar Ali Khan in Hyderabad contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2017