KARACHI Labour leaders call for implementation of proposed land reforms, government investment in public works and social sector and provision of subsidised electricity and water to boost economy and create more jobs.

Haider Bakhsh Jatoi, a prominent hari leader, suggested comprehensive land reforms proposals fifty years back, which were never implemented, said labour leaders. They said Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru`s reforms were best in Asia and needed to be worked out in Pakistan as well.

Moreover, Retired Air Marshal Noor Khan`s labour policy, which was widely admired, should also be implemented. This and other steps would improve the lot of workers in the current period of economic turmoil.

Moreover, electricity crisis, they said, needs to be tackled on priority as power-looms and factories are closing down rendering thousands jobless.

They advise the government to take steps to restore the shattered investor confidence so that economy survives and more factories are set up creating employment. They warn of a labour unrest if concrete steps are not taken to enforce the laws in letter and spirit and advised the government to stop taking dictations from the IMF and World Bank, which were instrumental in curbing the labourers` rights.

Rafiq Khan, President of National Labour Federation, regretted that workers were being sacked, and layoffs had been made especially in power-loom. He demanded that major cause of closure of mills i.e. increasing load-shedding, be first dealt with.

Moreover, he said, those who have shifted wealth abroad should bring back money to generate economic activity.

Karamat Ali of Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) noted that only three per cent of the total labourers in the country were engaged as permanent workforce. The labour department, he said, should carry out inspections and labourers be registered in all units.

The unions, he said, should also have access to information about company accounts and they can always challenge the claims of the managements.

Replying to a question he said, if there is recession in the economy, it is government`s responsibility to initiate public works to stimulate economy.

Nasir Mansoor, deputy general secretary of National Trade Union Federation, said balance-sheets be shown to unions as under labour laws, unions can check accounts. A large number of institutions, he said, are not doing this and fake balance-sheets are being prepared. Moreover, 90 per cent workforce has no appointment letters, and courts do not provide sufficient relief, he added.

Ghulam Fareed Awan, General Secretary of Pakistan Workers Confederation, said due to power crisis, people were losing jobs as factories were being closed or working on reduced capacity. The government, he said, was already facing the problem of terrorism and lawlessness. If there is any labour unrest, it would not be easy to be handled by the government.

Shamshad Qureshi of People`s Worker Union Pakistan Steel (CBA) disputed the impression that workforce was being laid off and said it was fake.

He said in order to boost economy and industrialisation, the Pakistan Steel Corporation should be strengthened, and advised the government to impose duty on steel imports. He said being a mother industry in India and Iran, steel imports are not allowed, and industries procure local steel.

Aslam Samoo of the People`s Workers Union KESC lamenting the state of affairs in the KESC said there were 8,000 contract workers in the company for the last 10 to 12 years, and they were not being regularised.

He said factories in Karachi were suffering owing to defective policies of the KESC, and said that its privatisation had compounded the power generation problem in Karachi, and it was ultimately resulting in industrial loss.

Abdul Jabbar, a bank employee, told Dawn that if the government failed to tackle the load-shedding problem, it would result in increased imports of diesel, generators, emergency lights and increased spending of foreign exchange.