APFUTU VOICES 11 DEMANDS TO PAKISTANI GOVERNMENT

PRESS RELEASE Dated: 21. June, 2010 Today a meeting of the Executives of APFUTU and Brick Kiln Industries labour unions was held in Imtiaz Labour Hall, Gujrat under the chairmanship of brother Choudhry Salman Riaz (lawyer), President of the All Pakistan Federation of United Trade Unions (APFUTU). The meeting concluded with a set of urgent demands addressed to the Government of Pakistan: 21.06.2010 1.The Government must act to eliminate immediately the practice of forced labour and to strictly implement the Bonded Labour (system) Abolition Act of 1992. 2.The Government must abolish the piece rate system from the Brick Kiln industry and fix the monthly pay at Rs. 20,000 per month. 3.The Labour Department and the Control Committees must demand from the brick kiln employers that they register their brick kiln labourers, and in case of failure to do so impose a heavy fine on employers. 4.The Government must allow labour inspectors to visit the brick kiln industries and establish the 8 hours working day for brick kiln workers. 5.The Government must compel the kiln employers to increase the wages of their brick kiln workers when they increase the rates of bricks to be produced during a certain period time. 6.The Government must insist that brick kiln employers pay wages amounting to Rs. 442.48 per thousand bricks produced and that no illegal amount be deducted from the workers’ wages. 7.In accordance with existing laws and rules the brick kiln workers are entitled to social security and old age benefits. Therefore, the government has to make sure that employers registered all their workers with the respective PESSI and OEBI departments. 8.The Government has to provide benefits from the Workers Welfare Board funds in case of death of a worker as well as marriage grants to brick kiln workers. 9.Child labour must be eradicated once and for all. 10.The Government has the responsibility to provide the education and health care as well as housing for brick kiln workers. 11.Illegal charges against brick kiln workers must be stopped and all running cases filed by employers must be closed. APFUTU All Pakistan Federation of United Trade Unions Head Office: Imtiaz Labour Hall, Faizabad, GUJRAT – Pakistan Phone: (+92-53) 353 3736 Fax No: (+92-53) 352 5302 Emails: This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it & This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it Web Site:http://www.labourunity.org