Facebook Twitter Linkedin YouTube

Thousands of Power Loom Workers Showed Their Anger

Implement the agreement or face the Strike action

Thousands of Power loom (textiles) workers marched through the main streets of Faisalabad (the third largest city of Pakistan and center of textile industry). The protesting workers are demanding the implementation of agreement signed between the power loom owners and workers last year. The power looms owners are not implementing the salary agreement. This agreement was signed after the one month long struggle of the workers.

More than 200000 (two hundred thousand) power loom workers went on strike last year against the slave wages and conditions. This strike and protest action continued for one month. The City government and Labour department brokered a deal between the owners and workers. According to that agreement the owners agreed to raise the salaries at least 35%. They also agreed to pay the over time to all the workers that will work more than 8 hours a day. But the owners are not implementing this agreement which has caused big anger among the workers.

The power loom workers also organized a sit-in in front of the District Nazim (Mayor) office. The city government is clearly siding with owners and ignored the appeals of workers to intervene. The workers have announced to continue the protests until there demands are not met. The workers are very angry and they are forcing the leadership to take strike action. One protesting worker expresses his anger in these words “They are paying us 50% less than what they promised. We are working 12 hours a day in highly unhygienic conditions. We do not have social security and other basic facilities. We will not accept these slave conditions”.

Power loom workers are among the very low paid workers. They are not even covered under the social security and old age benefit. They have no pension rights and job security. There are no health facilities available to these workers and if some body fell ill or being injured during the work, he will not get any free medical treatment or compensation. Even he will not be paid during the period of injury or sickness.

These horrific and repressive conditions have force the workers to fight to improve their conditions.

 

Leave a Reply