HYDERABAD, Nov 5: The general secretary of the Sui Southern Gas Workers Union (CBA), Qurban Ali Malik, has alleged that victimisation of workers has crossed all limits and warned that if these excesses are not stopped, workers will come out on the road.

He was speaking at a meeting of the union held here on Wednesday. He demanded of the management of Sui Southern Gas Company Limited to accept the charter of demands submitted by the union.

He said that the children of retired and the deceased employees of the company as well as the serving employees should be given preference in employment and medical facilities of the workers should be restored.

He complained that a meeting of workers' delegation, headed by him, with Federal Petroleum Minister Mr Amanullah Jadoon last week, in which the minister had assured them that all the genuine problems of workers would be resolved, had annoyed the company management as a result of which the workers were being harassed and victimised.

He said following this meeting, a large number of workers have been issued charge sheets and the union leaders have been served with show-cause notices, as to why their services should not be terminated.

The general secretary of the union warned the company management that if any worker was victimised, the consequences would be serious. Speaking on the occasion, the president of the union, Mr Tariq Farooq, demanded of the management to take necessary steps to end harassment among the workers.

He demanded that the second show-cause notice issued to the general secretary of the union, Qurban Ali Malik, should be withdrawn and the victimization of other office bearers of the union should be stopped.

He said that after Eidul Fitr, the union leaders will address a press conference in Islamabad to highlight the problems of workers. Others who spoke on the occasion include Riaz Akhtar Awan, Saeed Khan and Maqboolur Rehman. They warned that if the genuine demands of workers were not accepted, a protest movement will be launched throughout Sindh and Balochistan.