HYDERABAD, Nov 19: The central chairman, All Pakistan Trade Unions Organization (APTUO), Bashir Ahmed, has rejected the new Industrial Relations Ordinance (IRO) 2002 saying that instead of solving industrial disputes, it would give rise to new ones.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Mr Bashir said that it appeared that the person who had drafted the new IRO was a “blockhead” because the draft was totally incomprehensible.

He pointed out that it was utterly confusing as to how the labour federations would be formed and what would be the modus vivendi to get them registered.

He said that it was a frontal attack on the independence of trade unions to make it mandatory for them to join a federation and apply for the determination of the CBA within two months.

He said the author of the IRO had opened the floodgates of corruption by increasing the powers of the registrar of trade unions.

Mr Bashir claimed that the new law would totally destroy trade unionism in the country and the workers would become slaves.

He said divesting the labour courts of their authority to order the reinstatement of workers would inflict a telling blow on the very existence of trade unions.

He said that the majority of the entrepreneurs were already loath to recognize the trade unions and the new IRO had further strengthened them and they were gloating over the new law.

He said the violation of law had been made punishable with a fine of Rs20,000 to Rs25,000, which clearly indicated that no worker will become the member of a trade union due to fear of fine.

He demanded of President Pervez Musharraf to repeal the law and enforce the old IRO till a better one was enacted.

He further demanded that the new law should be drafted in the light of Justice (retd) Shafiur Rehman’s report, the proposals of the labour leaders, and the recommendations of the tripartite labour conference.