Friday, August 07, 2009
By Our Correspondent
LAHORE

SENIOR Provincial Adviser Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa has constituted a high-level committee headed by the provincial law minister to resolve the conflicts between power loom owners and workers.

The decision was made at a meeting of the committee constituted to resolve issues between labourers and industrialists of Faisalabad under the chairmanship of the senior adviser. Owners of Faisalabad Power Loom Industry, leaders of labour organisations, the provincial law minister, MPAs and senior administrative officers attended the meeting.

The meeting was briefed that the number of power looms in Faisalabad was 200,000. At least 70,000 industrial units had closed and hundreds of thousands of labourers had become jobless as a result of recent clashes between employees and employers.

Leaders of labour organisations expressed reservations on salary issues, lack of social security and other facilities. Owners of power looms said that they were ready to increase salaries of labourers after negotiations but they wanted protection against violence.

The senior advisor after listening to the version of both parties, constituted a committee headed by the law minister. He directed both parties to run their power looms within three days.

The senior adviser said that cordial relations between employees and employers and pleasant environment were a guarantee to the revival of industry. He said that industrial sector was the backbone of the economy of the country and the Punjab government was implementing the policy of promotion of industries and protection of labourers.