HYDERABAD, Jan 24: The former employees of the Zeal Pak Cement factory, Hyderabad, have appealed to the President, Sindh Governor, Chief Justice Supreme Court of Pakistan, Federal Minister for Law and Human Rights, Sindh Minister for Labour, and other authorities concerned to take legal action against the factory management and the CBA union for committing forgery and defrauding the employees.

In written complaints (complaints of 25 employees have been obtained by Dawn) addressed to the authorities, the former employees have alleged that the factory management and the CBA union under a conspiracy had terminated the services of 587 employees under the golden handshake scheme in January 2000.

They claimed that this was in spite of the fact that the majority of the workers had rejected the agreement between the CBA and the management at a general body meeting.

They said that till date even the labour department has not endorsed the agreement.

They said that the cheques of golden handshake and gratuity funds signed by the factory manager (administration) and general secretary of the CBA were given to the employees but had been dishonoured by the banks.

They said that while the poor workers were running from pillar to post, the CBA leaders had become contractors.

They further alleged that millions of rupees of provident fund had also been misappropriated.

They appealed to the authorities to register FIRs against the factory management and the CBA union officials for forgery and issuing bogus cheques.

They demanded that either the outstanding dues of the former employees be paid or they be reinstated in service.