HARIPUR, April 26: Workers of a brick-manufacturing unit here continued their strike on Wednesday against alleged violations of labour laws by the factory administration. The workers of the Khyber Bricks Factory of the Hattar Industrial Estate had gone on strike on Tuesday.

The factory administration denies violating labour laws and blames some workers for creating fuss.

According to a complaint filed with the Hattar police station by an action committee, comprising Afzal, Arshad and Nawaz, the factory administration had not registered majority of workers with Employees Social Security and the Employees Old-age Benefits departments which was mandatory under the Factories Act and the Employees Social Security Act.

The committee had also accused the administration of not paying compensation to heirs of a deceased worker as required under the Workman Compensation Act.

The worker, Sajjad Nazir of Bhawalpur, had died after being run over by a truck in front of the factory gate.

The committee said the factory had neither paid Rs200,000 as insurance fund to the worker’s heirs nor had provided transport for shifting of the body or paid burial charges.

It said that on Tuesday when workers demanded payment of insurance fund to the heirs of Sajjad Nazir and registration of workers with Employees Social Security and the Employees Old-age Benefits departments, the factory administration sacked over 120 workers after which they staged a protest outside the factory gate. The sacked workers included permanent and daily wage employees.

The factory had to suspend production due to the workers’ strike, sources said.

When approached, factory finance manager Riaz Satti denied that the factory administration had violated labour laws, adding that most of the workers were daily wagers and were drawing their wages as per the law.