RAWALPINDI: A delegation of Pakistan Workers Confederation (PWC) and Awami Workers Party (AWP) on Sunday discussed with Senator Mir Hasil Bizenjo a recent decision of Balochistan labour welfare department, cancelling registration of 62 trade unions of government and private organisations.

The delegation urged Mr Bizenjo, the opposition’s candidate for the Senate chairman and National Party president, to unite the opposition parties against the decision.

They said the decision had deprived over one million employees of the government of Balochistan of their constitutional right to association and assembly.

According to a press release, the delegation told Mr Bizenjo that the steps against democratic freedoms had now been extended to the organised working class in the country’s most deprived province and this demands a unified response by all democratic and progressive forces.

PWC Balochistan President Salam Lehri informed Mr Bizenjo that the high court order of June 24, was issued by its chief justice herself while adjudicating on a dispute between two trade unions.

Mr Lehri noted that the decision to ban all trade unions under the guise of adjudicating a dispute could have ramifications, which must be reconsidered.

He said that the Balochistan Labour Department had already cancelled the registration of 62 trade unions in the public sector.

He said that the abrupt dissolution of registered unions had generated a sense of insecurity among the low cadre staff of government departments in Balochistan who were now no longer legally protected against arbitrary management practices.

AWP leader Nawfal Saleemi said that Balochistan’s organised working class was being deprived of its rights to assemble, organise and protest.

They noted that there was already a deep sense of deprivation in Balochistan and in such an environment, depriving the working people of the province of their right to association would further push them to the wall.

Senator Bizenjo assured his full support to the PWC for restoring the rights of Balochistan’s one million government employees. He said that all legitimate means of protest would be adopted in this regard, including the possibility of filing an appeal in the Supreme Court, raising the matter in the Senate, and also a peaceful protest.

He said that he would make all-out efforts to defend the working class of Balochistan.'

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2019