HYDERABAD, Aug 9: The National Labour Federation has deplored that 8,000 workers of sugar mills in Sindh have been sacked during last three years and a system of recruitment on contract has been introduced in the mills.

The provincial president of the NLF, Rana Mehmood Ali Khan, said that out of 32 sugar mills in Sindh, 28 were operational in which 30,000 workers were employed. Speaking at the All Sindh Sugar Mills' Workers Convention held here on Monday under the aegis of the NLF, he said that the Fauji and Khoski sugar mills had been sold out at a throw away price after which the mills had recruited workers on contract system.

He said that sugar mill owners were blackmailing the government to make it accept contract system in all the mills. He also accused the Sindh government of protecting interests of the mill owners and neglecting those of workers.

He said that workers were being exploited and denied of their rights through contract system and added that the Army, Ansari and Faran sugar mills had stopped payment of annual bonus to their workers.

Mr Khan severely criticised the Industrial Relations Ordinance 2002 and said that it was the blackest of all the labour laws implemented in the country. He said that workers would have to launch a consistent struggle to protect their rights and workers' movement needed sacrifices at this critical juncture.

He again called on federations of workers' organizations to give a joint strike call to pressure the authorities to resolve problems of working class. Speaking on the occasion, the general secretary of the Army Sugar Mills Workers' Union, Syed Ali Mohammad Shah, alleged that the workers of his factory were being constantly harassed by the mill management.

Others speakers included the president of the Mehnatkash Union, Bawani Sugar Mills, Khameso Khan Lashari; president of Ansari Sugar Mills Workers' Union, Saleem Khaskheli; general secretary of Seri Sugar Mills Workers' Union, Khalid Hussain Bhutto; and general secretary of Faran Sugar Mills Mazdoor Union, Abdul Karim Mangrio.

The convention adopted a resolution demanding abolition of contract system and appointment of local workers in sugar mills. Earlier on Sunday, the office-bearers of unions of different sugar mills staged a demonstration outside the press club.

They were protesting against non-employment of local people, contractual system, victimization of workers and non-payment of bonus. Speaking on the occasion, the president of the National Labour Federation, Sindh, Rana Mehmood Ali, Ali Mohammad Shah, Razzak Chohan and others said the protest of the sugar mill workers would continue till the abolition of contract system in sugar mills.