FAISALABAD, Dec 11: The Pakistan Textile Workers Union has alleged that weaving units are depriving labourers of their rights and benefits by violating the Factory Act.

This was said by union central president Mian Abdul Qayyum along with secretary-general Aslam Miraj while addressing a press conference on Monday.

Mr Qayyum said approximately 500,000 workers were engaged in powerloom industry in the district, but the influential factory owners were not ready to give them their due rights and benefits according to the law. Neither health nor proper sanitation facilities were being provided to labourers.

He said a number of workers had lost their body parts during work, but no body bothered to compensate them. The Factory Act 1934 had clearly mentioned working condition, but the situation in units was altogether different, he said.

Machines of different kinds installed in factories were operating without safety measures while cloth weavers were being forced to work as loaders and machine men also.

“These are clear violation of laws and who will check them.”

The union activists have appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to direct the departments concerned for changing `ugly’ working conditions of weaving factories.

Three killed: Three people were killed and 18 others injured in two road accidents on Monday.

Waris Ali was travelling to Faisalabad from Lahore when his car collided head on with another car near Rasoolpura. Waris was injured and died on way to hospital.

On Jhang Road near Nawan Lahore, a driver and a commuter died when two minibuses rammed into each other. Eighteen people, including Shazia Bibi, Sughran Bibi, Aslam, Sarwar, Islam, Zulqarnain, Muzaffar, Arshad, Munir, Umer Din and Ramzan, received injuries. Thirteen injured were shifted to the Allied hospital where their condition was stated out of danger.

One of the deceased was identified as Rasheed from Bhakkar while driver’s identity could not be ascertained.