HARIPUR: The management of Agritech Industry, Haripur, has asked the district administration to address their security concerns for the resumption of production.

It has asked the factory’s administration to enforce labour laws to prevent worker-employer conflicts.

Agritech’s management had closed the factory on May 8 following a scuffle between its members with leaders of the labour union.

In an FIR lodged by it with Kotnajibullah police, the union leaders were accused of injuring two senior managers, holding them hostage and ransacking their offices.

However, a worker complained to police that the two managers and their supporters attacked and injured him and his co-workers.

In a new development, the factory’s management has formally asked the district administration for security fearing attacks by union leaders and workers.

Agritech manager (admin) Javed Iqbal Khan told Dawn that the factory’s management was ready to resume production but that would happen only after the administration addressed their security concerns on the premises.

He said the management was ready to address the genuine concerns of workers about labour laws implementation.

Additional deputy commissioner Baidullah Shah, the focal person on the issue, said the payment of the workers’ dues had been cleared, while talks for the factory’s reopening were under way among the management, workers and district administration.

He promised protection of factory and its management asking the latter to enforce labour laws.

Union leader Qari Sarfraz denied that he or any other unionist had threatened the factory’s management.

He said the union wanted the resumption of production but that should happen in line with labour laws.

Meanwhile, a sudden voltage increase damaged household appliancesin a remote village of Khanpur tehsil.

Residents of Choee villages said voltage increased after lightening struck two 50kv power transformers.

They said appliances in over 50 houses were damaged in the incident.

The lightning also killed a camel in the village.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2019