KARACHI, June 5: Well over 5,000 Pakistan Steel Mills workers will participate in a referendum to choose their collective bargaining agent (CBA) on June 12. They will be using their right to franchise after a long period of more than 13 years.

The date for the holding of the referendum was fixed during a meeting chaired by the joint labour director (East) and participated by representatives of all the nine unions of the mills’ workers.

A total of 14 places have been identified for the setting up of booths to facilitate the polling.

The unions have already launched their campaigns and are establishing election offices at different places within the vicinity of the mills.

The holding of the referendum after 13 years was made possible when the National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC) on May 22 issued an order in this regard, directing that the referendum should be held by June 15.

The last referendum in the steel mills was held in January 1995 in which the Pakistan Steel People’s Workers Union was elected the CBA and completed its two-year term. However, some of the unions moved the NIRC against holding of a fresh referendum in 1997 and the commission took almost 11 years to decide the case.

After the issuance of the May 22 NIRC order, the provincial labour department asked all the unions operating in the mills to discuss the issue and one of them suggested that more than 5,700 daily wage workers — some of them associated with the organisation for 15 years and doing hazardous jobs — should also be allowed to cast their votes. However, the prescribed labour laws do not allow grant of right to vote to daily wagers. As such, after discussing the issue at a meeting, the labour department decided not to allow the daily wagers to cast their votes.

There are more than 18,000 employees in the PSM. Of them around 7,000 are in officers cadre and about 5,700 daily wage workers. Both the categories are not allowed to participate in union activities or cast their votes in the referendum. Hence, about 5,300 employees will be casting their votes in the June 12 referendum.

The nine unions operating at the PSM are: Pakistan Steel People’s Workers Union (the former CBA), Pakistan Steel Labour Union, United Workers Front of Pakistan Steel, People’s Unity of Pakistan Steel, Employees Unity of Pakistan Steel, Pakistan Steel Mazdoor League, Labour League of Pakistan Steel, Pakistan Steel Progressive Workers Union and Pakistan Steel Staff and Workers Union.

The former CBA got a boost a couple of days back when its splinter group agreed on a merge after a decision to this effect was taken by the leadership of their parent political party on Saturday last.