FAISALABAD: Ansar Ali, a powerloom worker in Faizabad, belonging to Layyah, is staying in the city along with some other workers only to get his wages before leaving for his home to celebrate Eid. He is not sure when he would get his pay.

“Last year also, the workers had faced financial hardships as the factory owners had given them only 25 to 30pc of their wages ahead of Eid instead of clearing their dues,” complains Ali, wondering why rights of workers are being usurped and steps are not being taken to make their life easier.

“I get phone calls from my family daily who have not purchased even a single product to celebrate Eid yet as they are waiting for me and my wages,” he laments.

He says the workers have arranged a private vehicle to reach their hometowns as the public transport is not available.

Thousands of workers like Ali are waiting to return to their native towns to celebrate Eidul Fitr with their families as the powerlooms owners have yet to pay their wages.

On the other hand, the powerloom factory owners say they are in a fix to pay wages as all the cloth markets are closed due to the lockdown and the cloth traders did not make fabric payments to them despite promises.

Faisalabad is known as the textile capital of Pakistan where thousands of powerlooms are functioning, employing millions of workers, belonging to the districts, including Bhakkar, Chiniot, Sargodha, Khushab, Jhang, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Multan and Toba Tek Singh.

Tuesday was the last day at the powerloom factories and the workers have to go back to their homes. However, they have to stay until Thursday to get their wages as the factory owners say they are facing shortage of funds due to closure of cloth markets.

Council of Looms Owners chairman Waheed Khaliq says that all dying and printing mills, yarn markets and cloth markets are shut, landing the powerloom sector in an outlandish situation. He says closure of all the related establishments has created financial issues for them and they are finding it difficult to pay wages to the workers. He says scores of workers have left for their native towns but 50pc are still waiting for their wages. He claims that the factories are struggling to arrange funds on their own as the government has not extended any help to cater to the needs of the workers.

“The government must announce markup-free or low markup loan for the small industry like the powerlooms sector to meet the expenses of electricity and the workers’ wages.”

Mr Khaliq says exporters attached with the textile sector are getting electricity against 9 cents, on the contrary the powerlooms factory owners pay Rs24 per unit.

All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association Chairman Zulfiqar Ali Chaudhary argues that the Covid-19 has hit the traders and the millers and they are finding it difficult to clear their stocks they had for the Eid customers. He demands the government evolve a strategy to facilitate them so that they could avoid financial constraints. He says the export segment of Pakistan is thriving but the local traders are in a difficult situation as they cannot clear their stocks due to the restrictions on shopping after 6pm and a week-long lockdown.

“If the shopkeepers cannot clear their stocks, they have to wait for a year to sell cotton products in the next season. Local looms in Faisalabad have been giving good production but the Covid-19 restrictions have hit their cycle,” he says.

Riaz Shahid, a grey cloth trader of yarn market, says only the exporters have earned profits due to the facilities announced by the government. He says the informal sector like powerlooms and small traders attached with the textile business are suffering owing to high prices of yarn and its unavailability.

Shahid is not sure what would be the fate of the market after the lockdown as he and others like him are spending their savings only to keep businesses on track.

We have paid partial payments to workers who performed fabric loading tasks as we are short of money, Mr Shahid added.

Khaliq said last year the powerlooms remained closed for five weeks due to the Covid-19 but the government has not given even a single penny relief to the powerloom sector.

To save the powerloom sector from collapse, he suggests to the government to monitor the prices of yarn as the speculative buying is still on which is affecting the local textile sector.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2021