SUKKUR Contract workers of the Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDC) and activists of political, social and religious parties took out a procession from Ghotki to Qadirpur gas field on Monday for regularisation of temporary workers of the company.
Workers and activists of the Pakistan Muslim League (N), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Sindh National Front, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaaz, Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaaz, Sindh Save Movement, Awami Tehreek, Pakistan Peoples Party (SB), Sindh Taraqqi Pasand Party and Madzoor Ittehad started their 13 kilometers march on foot from Ghotki press club Carrying placards and banners, they shouted slogans against the OGDCL management.
They held a demonstration and staged a sit-in in front of the main gate of the Qadirpur gas field, suspending vehicular traffic for hours.
Speaking to protesters, leaders of the contract employees alleged that natural resources of Sindh were occupied by a particular province while the country was dependent on the US.
Though the democratic government of PPP was in power, but it had done nothing for poor workers, they said.They said the people of Pakistan had given the PPP a clear mandate with a hope that the government would resolve their problems, but the rulers were busy visiting “90” in Azizabad, Karachi, and London to perpetuate their power.
They said Sindh was blessed with enormous natural resources which were being explored by multi-national firms, local people were deprived of jobs in those companies.
Criticising the elected representatives, they said they happily came to ask for vote, but when elected, they did not pay any heed to the problems of the people.
They said the PPP government was going against its manifesto of providing Roti, Kapra and Makaan to the people. They were snatching a single time meal from the poor people instead.
They said that last week, OGDC contract workers had staged a sit-in outside the residence of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani in Multan and his son Syed Moosa Raza had assured the workers of regularising their services. But despite lapse of one week, nothing had been done.
Though the rulers were claiming to fulfil the commitment of Ms Benazeer Bhutto, but their actions were against the promises, the labour leaders said.
They said the government was bagging huge profit of Rs370 millions per day from multi-national companies working in district Ghotki, but the companies were denying jobs to local youth.
The OGDC had not regularised the employees who were working in the Qadirpur gas field for the last eight years, they said.
They said their protest had entered 50th day, but not a single elected representative had come to them.
They demanded that the chief justice of Pakistan should take notice of the atrocities being committed against the contractual workers of the OGDC. A heavy contingent of police accompanied the procession of the OGDC workers to avert any untoward incident.
