HYDERABAD, Jan 1: The All-Sindh Trade Union Conference has decided to observe 2006 as the year for resolving workers’ problems. The conference, organized by the Sindh chapter of the National Labour Federation at the press club here on Sunday, pledged to hold protest meetings at the taluka and district level in furtherance of this objective. The conference was attended by trade union leaders from all over the province.

Speakers criticized what they called anti-workers policies of the government and alleged that President Gen Pervez Musharraf was strengthening the hands of landlords and capitalists.

Sindh NLF president Rana Mehmood Ali Khan said problems of workers had been placed on the back burner and time had come to launch a consistent struggle to resolve them.

He said that if any political party launched a “remove Musharraf movement”, the NLF would take part in it.

He said the working class was of the considered opinion that unless President Musharraf was removed, problems of workers and peasants could not be resolved.

Mr Khan alleged that the Kalabagh dam issue had been raised to create anarchy in the country, otherwise there was no reason to construct the dam when it had been rejected by people.

He said workers of Sindh would take part in the struggle against the dam.

He ridiculed the government’s claim of economic development and said prices of essential commodities had been increased manifold.

He termed the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 2002, and the ordinance of forced retirement of employees black laws and added that the government had violated promises made with workers about the repeal of the laws.

The NLF leader condemned the proposed privatization of the Pakistan Steel Mills and other national enterprises.

He demanded that laws ensuring recruitment of local people in industrial units of Sindh should be enacted and employment quota for children of former employees restored in all departments.

He said Hyderabad was the centre of the bangle industry of the country but 50,000 workers associated with the industry had been deprived of facilities ensured under labour laws.

He criticized performance of the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution and the Employees Old-age Benefit Institute, saying the organizations had failed to protect legal rights of workers. He demanded an impartial inquiry against the organizations.