HYDERABAD, Jan 30: The Pakistan Workers’ Federation has criticized non-implementation of labour laws in different industrial units and said that workers were being deprived of their rights.

A meeting of affiliated trade unions of the federation was held here on Sunday under the chairmanship of Mehboob Ali Qureshi.

The meeting discussed in detail the problems confronting the industrial workers.

It expressed concern that factory owners did not issue appointment letters to the workers as required under the labour laws nor they registered them under the social security and EOBI schemes.

The meeting observed that the workers did not enjoy security of service and they were being deprived of medical facilities and pension.

It alleged that the mill owners had refused to implement the minimum wages notification and were not paying Rs3,000 per month to unskilled workers, which was mandatory under the law.

The meeting noted that the contract and daily wage system introduced by the mill owners had deprived the workers of all their rights.

Speaking on the occasion, Mehboob Ali Qureshi said there was no other option for the workers but to unite under the banner of the PWF to launch a joint struggle.

He said that throughout the country, the sugar mill workers were working as slaves.

He feared that the bad attitude of the mill owners and the labour department could lead to industrial unrest.

The meeting adopted several resolutions demanding implementation of the minimum wages law and other labour laws.

Another resolution expressed profound sorrow over the death of veteran politician, Khan Abdul Wali Khan.

The meeting expressed solidarity with the Sindh Employees Alliance and demanded withdrawal of cases against the government servants in Larkana.

MICROSOFT: The Microsoft country manager, Waqar Khamisani, here on Monday at the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology in Jamshoro delivered a lecture in a seminar on ‘cooperation between educational institutions and Microsoft’.