KARACHI, Feb 10: The Sindh Labour Department (SLD) has issued showcause notice to an industrial concern for prematurely terminating the contract of 26 apprentices, it is learnt.

According to the sources, a tyre and rubber company had appointed 26 apprentices in January 2001 under a three-year contract that was to conclude in December 2003. The contract is registered with the SLD.

The company, in 2002, approached the SLD and sought permission for shortening the apprentices programme from three years to two years. The SLD gave the permission.

The company in January 2003 when the two years of the programme were completed, mentioning the permission given by the SLD, told the apprentices that their programme had been completed, so they should go.

The apprentices approached the SLD, which controls the apprentices’ programme, and informed it about the shortening of their training period from three years to two years, and that they were being told by the company to go.

The SLD wrote a letter to the company clarifying that the permission given to it in 2002 about the shortening of the period of the apprentices programme from three years to two years was for the future programmes, not for those that were already under way.

The rubber and tyre company, however, maintains that since the SLD had shortened the programme, it issued the completion letters. It said the letter by the SLD clarifying the position was received by the company after the completion letters were issued to the apprentices, so nothing could be done now.

The apprenticeship scheme was introduced by the federal government under the Apprentices Ordinance 1962. Industrial concerns having at least 50 skilled workers have to appoint apprentices equal to 20 per cent of their workforce and give them training in different trades.

The training course, tenure, and other matters relating to the scheme are decided by the officials concerned of the labour department, who take inputs from representatives of employers and labour unions.

Companies recruit apprentices through advertisements in the press, and after selection a contract is signed between that apprentices and the company it is registered with the labour department, which ensures that the terms and conditions are followed. Legal action is to be taken against employers violating the contract.