HYDERABAD, May 20: The Sindhi Porhiat Sangat (SPS), the labour wing of the Jeay Sindh Mahaz (Z), has threatened to launch a protest movement throughout the province from June 5 if the problems faced by workers in particular and people of Sindh in general were not resolved.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Sunday, the SPS leaders, Syed Asghar Ali Shah, Ghulam Ali and others, alleged that army personnel had been deployed in the civil organizations of Sindh and thousands of workers had been rendered jobless.

They said that during the last ten years, from Karachi to Kashmor, more than 1,000 industrial units had been closed which had rendered at least 100,000 workers jobless.

They said the Karachi Electric Supply Company, which was in deficit of Rs11 billion, was now suffering a loss of Rs50 billion after the induction of army in the company.

They said the same was the case with the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and alleged that Wapda powerhouses were sold just for the sake of commission and now electricity was being purchased from the same powerhouses at higher prices.

About the Pakistan Railways, they said outdated locomotives were being operated as a result of which the railway department was suffering huge losses.

The SPS leaders alleged many trains in Sindh had been taken off the track as railway officials had “entered into a deal” with transporters.

They appealed to the people to join the struggle against the closure of industrial units, privatization of national enterprises, large-scale retrenchment of workers, non-payment of salaries and wages to labourers, and interference of army personnel in the productive organizations.