HYDERABAD, Jan 4: Pakistan Workers Federation general secretary Mehboob Ali Qureshi has said that in many industrial units, workers are neither being issued appointment letters nor attendance cards.

He added that the workers were also not being registered under the EOBI and they were being deprived of facilities ensured under labour laws.

Talking to workers here on Wednesday, he alleged that factory owners in Hyderabad, Kotri and Nooriabad industrial estates were not following labour laws.

He said workers were being deprived of annual bonus, causal and earned leave and they were even made to work on gazetted holidays.

He pointed out that industrial workers performed their duties under unhygienic conditions which was not only violation of labour laws but also of fundamental human rights.

Mr Qureshi called upon human rights organizations and the health department to take notice of the unhygienic conditions.

He regretted that departments concerned were not taking any action against factory owners for violating standing orders of 1965, Factories Act, 1934, Sindh Employees Social Security Act, 1965, and the EOBI Act, 1976.

He demanded that the government should take action against factory owners for violating labour laws and provide protection to workers.

CCI OPPOSED: A former Sindh minister for law and minority affairs and member of Sindh Water Committee, Muzaffar Sadiq Bhatti, has said that though restoration of the Council of Common Interests is necessary under the constitution but its revival after lapse of seven years is based on mala fide intensions.

In a statement faxed to Dawn here on Wednesday, he expressed the apprehension that the prime minister would appoint only those four members of the cabinet as members of the CCI who would support construction of the Kalabagh dam. He said there was also no doubt about the fact that chief ministers of Punjab and Balochistan would support the dam and under article 154 of the constitution, the CCI would take a decision in accordance with majority votes.

He pointed out that when assemblies of three provinces had rejected construction of the Kalabagh dam, the issue was being taken to the CCI only to please one province.

Mr Bhatti said that rejecting the opinion of the three provinces was negation of the concept of federalism which would create anarchy in the country.

He cautioned the government that under these circumstances the provinces would have the right to decide about their own future.

SAB: Sindhi writers Atta Mohammad Bhambhro, Murad Ali Mirza, Wali Ram Walabh, Khaki Joyo, Naseer Mirza, Asif Mithianvi and others in a joint statement faxed to Dawn here on Wednesday expressed concern over the controversy in respect of a journal, Sartiyoon, published by the Sindhi Adabi Board.

They demanded reinstatment of the editor of the journal, Gul Badan Javed, and the joint editor, Najma Panhwar.

MEETING: The joint secretary (Sindh), prime minister’s secretariat (public), Mohammad Juman Jamro, will hold a meeting at the Mirpur Mathelo circuit house on Jan 14 to review the progress of village electrification in Sindh, particularly in Ghotki.

He will also visit some completed and ongoing electrification schemes in various villages.

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