KARACHI, Sept 15: Speakers at a workers’ rally demanded on Saturday that stern action be taken against all those involved in the Karachi and Lahore industrial accidents in which over 300 employees lost their lives and compensation be paid to the victims and their families immediately.

The workers gathered at Ghani Chowrangi in the SITE area and then marched towards the garment factory in Baldia Town where more than 250 workers died in the worst industrial fire accident in the country’s history.

Workers Party leader Yusuf Mustikhan demanded that Rs1 million be paid to the heirs of all those workers who died in Karachi and Lahore incidents and Rs500,000 be paid to the injured.

Ghulam Mohammad Jadoon of the Awami Party demanded that all factories be relocated from residential areas to industrial zones.

Manzoor Razi of the Railway Workers Union said that trade union activities be restored and safety of the life of the workers be ensured.

Nasir Mansoor of the National Trade Union condemned the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and accused it of siding with industrialists, government’s labour departments and not safeguarding workers’ interests. He said ILO team came to Karachi after the garment factory fire but after meeting the labour department they returned without meeting any representatives of the workers or victims.

Zara Khan of the Home-based Women Workers Federation demanded that appointment letters be issued to all the workers and that the third party contract system be abolished.

Manzoor Malah of the Railway Mehnatkash Union demanded that all factories be registered under the Factory’s Act and inspection of factories be ensured.

Other speakers said the garment factory was supplying products to some European companies. They urged the international workers organisations to take these companies to courts so that they stood exposed and the victims could also get some compensation.

Sajjad Zaheer of the Labour Party, Mir Zulfiqar Ali, Comrade Rasheed of the Communist Party, Ghani Zaman, Shafeeq Ghauri, Rafiq Baloch, Sheikh Majeed of the People’s Labour Bureau and others also spoke.