KARACHI, July 9: Leaders of the Pakistan Steel Mills Progressive Workers Union on Monday expressed their concern over increasing problems being faced by the mills workers, and criticised the officials concerned for their failure to implement the agreement between the employers and the union.

At a meeting chaired by the union’s President Sardar Khan Niazi at the Steel Town, the leaders discussed major issues including workers’ due promotion, medical facility and holding of referendum at the mills, etc.

The meeting noted with regret that the referendum, which was a basic right of the workers, was not held for the 11 years whereas promotion of workers had not been effected for 15 years without any reason in violation of the relevant agreement.

It also observed that the mills employees were facing immense hardship in availing the medical facility and even patients in a critical condition were faced with difficulties.

The meeting demanded reversal of the decision to privatise the mills and implementation of the employers-union agreement.

The union’s General Secretary Mohammad Wasim, and other office-bearers Malik Arshad, Riaz Masih, Mohammad Iqbal, Akhtar Zaman, Irfan Ahmed Khan, Zafar Sadiq, Mohammad Ali, Syed Mubarak Hussain and Mohammad Afzal spoke at the meeting.

They decided to highlight the employees’ grievances at a public meeting to be held on August 14 in Gulshan-i-Hadeed.