PESHAWAR, Feb 27: Federal Minister for Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis Malik Ghulam Sarwar Khan has assured a delegation of the Mutahidda Labour Federation, Pakistan, that the government would announce a special package for the working class people on the eve of May Day this year.

According to a press release issued here on Tuesday, the minister had ordered all provincial labour secretaries to enlist the names of factory and mill owners who were not contributing into the Workers Welfare Funds and were involved in other malpractices.

An MLFP delegation comprising its president, Gul Rehman; vice-president, Syed Liaquat

Ali Bacha; Pakistan Sugar

Mills Workers Federation President Haji Mohammad Zaman, General Secretary Nasaruddin, MLFP provincial president Mohammad Iqbal and general secretary Mohammad Nabi briefed the minister about workers’ problems.

They told him that the factory and mill owners were not paying minimum wages of Rs4,000 fixed by the government to their employees.

They said despite government’s announcement right of ownership of workers colonies had not been granted to them, which had become a permanent source of anguish and fear for them.

The delegation explained to the minister that factory owners used to pay overtime on basic pay, which was equal to naked exploitation of the workers.

It demanded of the minister that existing overtime laws should be changed.

They said factory owners had always shown losses in their balance-sheets and refused to contribute to the Workers Welfare Funds.

They said overtaxing and excise duty had completely crippled the sugar industry, which multiplied the rate of unemployment in the country.

The minister assured the delegation that the issue of sugar units’ closure would be solved on a priority basis and transfer of right of ownership of labour colonies would be expedited so that uncertainty could be removed from the workers.