Pakistan: Labour Leaders killed for forming union in Faisalabad
7. July 2010
”Mustansar Randhawa, a Labour Qaumi Movement (LQM) leader in Faisalabad was killed today by unknown persons while he was sitting in the office of LQM Sarghoda Road Sector area. He has been receiving death threats from the power looms and textile mill owners for the last few days. His crime was to organise LQM in an area, no one dared to do that earlier. He was also president of National Trade Union Federation Faisalabad.”
In this way the director of Labour Education Foundation in Pakistan, Khalid Mahmood, started a mail we received July 6.
Mahmood continued:
“Labour Qaumi Movement had announced a strike of the textile sector on 6th July in a press conference on 4th July. On 5th July, the administration of Faisalabad called the union leaders for negotiations. LQM demanded wage increase according to the Minimum Wages Board notification, a 17 percent wage increase.
The bosses was reluctant to do that. After late night negotiations which went on till 1.30am on 6th July, it was agreed to postpone the strike and bosses agreed to some demands. The negotiations were to start again today when the news came that Mustansar Rindhawa (35) is been killed by firing of unknown persons while he was sitting in the office. Two person came on motor cycle and fired at him in the office. He died on the spot. Another member of the union had just left to the next door to fetch water while he was shot at. He escaped luckily.
“Mustansar Rindhawa was one of the proud participant of a trade union leadership workshop on 19/20 June in Faisalabad. In the picture attached, he is sitting with others on that occasion. The workshop was organised by Labour Education Foundation.
“The LQM leadership in consultation with LPP (Labour Party Pakistan) is discussing the future actions in response to this incident. Workers are gathering at Faisalabad hospital where the body is been brought already. Labour Party Pakistan Labour secretary Nasir Mansoor, general secretary Nisar Shah, spokesperson Farooq Tariq and LEF Director Khalid Mahmood has condemned this killing and demanded an immediate arrest of the murderers. They said in a joint statement that the labour movement in Faisalabad can not be silenced by such brutal actions. The workers of the Pakistan will respond by organizing strikes and demonstration to condemn this killing.”
Few hours later we received a new mail from Khalid Mahmood with the following text:
Another Labour Leader is dead
“I have already send the sad news of the murder of Mustansar Randhawa this afternoon at the office of Labour Qaumi Movement Faisalabad. Now we heard the other sad news. Naseer Randhawa, the younger brother of Mustansar Randawa who was also injured in the incident died in hospital just now. He was also an active member of LQM.
“Against the murder of two labour leaders, the workers of the whole textile industry in Faisalabad have walked out of their jobs and tomorrow, there will be a complete shut down of the industry on the appeal of LQM. The workers will gather in front of district council Faisalabad at 10am in protest,
in grief,
Khalid.”
Khalid Mahmood’s contact address:
Khalid Mahmood
Director
Labour Education Foundation
Ground Floor, 25-A Davis Road,
Lahore, Pakistan.
Tel: 0092 42 6303808, 0092 42 6315162
Fax: 0092 42 6271149
Mobile: 0092 321 9402322
On July 6 we also received the following Press Release from Labour Education Foundation:
10.000 ship breaking workers came together in Gadani
In a historic display of strength and unity, 10,000 ship breaking workers came together in Gadani today to protest deplorable working conditions and demand the fulfillment of repeatedly broken promises.
Even before the rally began, the massive congregation faced systematic harassment from the police and Anti Terrorism Task Force, who had arrived four hours in advance of the scheduled protest time of 10:30am. Not only did they attempt to physically force the protestors back to work, but led a baton charge on 150 workers, which resulted in several casualties. After wounding numerous protesters, security forces detained Edhi ambulances for a full 2 hours and prevented paramedics from tending to the injured.
Then in an attempt to intimidate the organizers and disperse the rally, the heavily armed police arrested, without just cause, the General Secretary of the Gadani Ship Breaking Democratic Workers Union (GDSBDWU), Mr. Tarhir Yusufzai and threatened to arrest the Deputy General Secretary of the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), Mr. Nasir Mansoor. However, the sheer presence of thousands of workers forced the SHO Mr. Amir Abdullah to back down from his confrontational stance and release Mr. Tahir Yusufzai.
A convention was held noting the long struggle of the workers. Mr. Nasir Manzoor from the NTUF, Mr. Tahir Yusufzai from GDSBDWU, Mr. Ghulam Mustafa from BNP all spoke at the convention.
The workers then commenced their 8km march along the Gadani shoreline at 10:45am and were joined by over 10,000 workers. Despite the squalid living conditions forced upon the workers for years past, they found joy in solidarity with their fellow workers and were in high spirits throughout the protest. The ship breaking owners had previously agreed to meet the workers’ demands by 30th June in return for them calling off the strike scheduled from 16th to 30th June. The owners’ refusal to abide by the agreement and their underhand attempts to demoralize the union through physical threats and intimidation has only served to strengthen the resolve of the workers. Taking into account the owners’ lack of good faith and their deceitful efforts to deny basic rights to the workers, it was unanimously decided by all present that an indefinite strike be called from the 5th of July till the following demands were met:*100% increase in wages *Registration with Social Security and Old age Benefits Institutes *Medical Dispensary and Ambulance at each ship breaking yard *Clean drinking water and canteen at each yard *Appointment letter for every worker
- End of contract (JAMADARY) system
For more information, please call Nasir Mansoor, Deputy General Secretary National Trade Union Federation at 0092-300-3587211.
STS has worked together with Labour Education Foundation since the earthquake in Kashmir in October 2005 and makes at present the economic foundation for a school with 120 children from poor families hit by the earthquake in Kashmir. Besides we are preparing a project for educating trade unionists in cooperation with Labour Education Foundation.
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