KARACHI, Dec 21: Businessmen have decided to directly contact political parties to persuade them to refrain from expressing their resentment through strikes in Karachi as it disrupts movement of the economic wheel.
On the contrary, industrialists issued have circulars to their members to open up their industries on Friday. However, much depends on the attendance of workers who rely on public transport, coupled with law and order situation.
“I think time has come for the business community to take up the matter with the opposition parties to save Karachi from becoming a continuous victim of strike calls,” President, Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Majyd Aziz, told Dawn on Thursday.
There was a need that businessmen should now work for smooth livelihood of Karachiites, and for their own survival by taking up the issue of strikes with the opposition parties, he added.
“The KCCI will be taking a lead and hold future negotiations with opposition parties on this serious issue,” Majyd said, adding political parties must understand the repercussions of strikes as these cause export shipment losses, production losses and result in hardship to common man.
He hoped that patriotic political parties and other organizations would pay a heed to the advice of the business community in the larger interest of the country.
He said many industrialists have planned to run their mills on Friday, depending on the situation and attendance of workers. He said people, who have to meet future orders for the next two to three days, would hold night shifts of Thursday for Friday.
Chairman, Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI), Masood Naqi, said the businessmen are now thinking to have a one-to-one meeting with opposition parties to save the country’s economic hub from being collapsed.
He said political parties would be asked to clear their differences with the government in assemblies, rather than shattering the lives of common man and ruining industrial activity.
He said despite the fact that industries have to clear their future export shipments in the next two to three days, hardly five to 10 per cent industries in Korangi area would hold their workers on Thursday for overtime, otherwise, an industry cannot hold the entire workforce for overtime.
“I have sent e-mails to all members to ensure opening of their units on Friday,” Masood said, adding he had also asked the Town Nazim to ensure security to public and private transporters who would dare to ply their vehicles on Friday.
He urged the Sindh government to take necessary steps by monitoring anti-state elements that are bent upon causing devastation to industrial production and lives of the common man.
He condemned the Friday’s strike call, saying those who have given call for strike have only planned to destabilize economic activity and they are not friends of the poor and common man. “Trade and politics are separate things. Politicians should find a democratic way of protest, instead of putting the common man in trouble,” he said.
Chairman, North Karachi of Trade and Industry (NKATI), Faraz Mirza, condemning the strike, said in view of government’s failure, it is now imperative to hold negotiations with opposition political parties, directly to avoid making Karachi a victim of strikes in future.
He criticized the MMA leaders and said they had no sympathies with the poor and downtrodden sections of population as strike mainly hits the lower strata of society and labour class.
“I have issued circulars to our members to open their industries and have also talked to the authorities concerned to provide security to industries,” Faraz said, adding it is not an easy task to ask the night shift to stay on overtime. Besides, one cannot take optimum output from the labour who had remained engaged all night.
Chairman, F B Area Association of Trade and Industry (FBATI), Masroor Ahmed Alvi, while condemning the strike, said the industries in the area would function normally on Friday as many industries have decided to provide transport facility to workers to their workplace.
He added that the opposition parties should raise their issues on appropriate forums instead of lodging protests through strikes in Karachi only.
President, Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Chaudhry Mohammad Saeed, said the business community had completely disassociated itself from strikes.
He urged the political parties not to resort to strikes and find some other way to vent their feelings.
Acting chairman of Site Association of Industry, Saboor Ahmed, termed the strike call unjustified, and urged the parties concerned to refrain from calling strikes and use National Assembly or Senate forum to settle issues.
