Government should stop shaking hands with the brick kiln owners:Syeda Ghulam Fatima

Lahore: Bonded Labour Liberation Front Pakistan has demanded that Government and all the political parties should stop shaking hands with the brick kiln owners and industrialist instead they should put efforts to resolve workers issues. Today’s day September 18 is very important in bonded workers life. BLLF saluted the then Supreme Court Bench that issued an historical verdict in favor of workers in 1988, BLLF has called that day a Freedom day and today they have celebrated 26^th anniversary of that judgment. In this regard, BLLF has held a seminar and three days exhibition on the life of bonded laborers and their struggle.

Parliamentary secretary Rana Arshad Mahmood said that the Punjab government would ensure provision of all of their rights to brick kiln workers and desires to see them prosperous across the province. Speaking at a seminar held here to commemorate the Freedom Day under aegis of the Bonded Labour Liberation Front (BLLF), he said the government had made the all brick kiln owners duty bound to pay minimum wages to their workers according to notifications of the government. He said his government had made an effective strategy to combat bonded labour by motivating those involved in getting such labour from their workers through advance system etc. He said the government had also started issuing soft loans to the kiln workers to eliminate the money advance system (Peshgi) that was causing exploitation of the workers.

Speaking on the occasion BLLF Secretary General Syeda Ghulam Fatima said the previous decision of the court forced the government to introduce bonded labour abolition act in 1992 that helped in ensuring protection of all rights to the brick kiln workers and other sort of bonded labour. She criticized the political parties for ignoring kiln workers and bonded labour in their respective manifestos. She said as Pakistan came into being after several-years long struggle of the workers, the parties should realize importance of labour and include them in their manifestoes.

Speaking on this occasion Mahar Safdar Ali, Executive Member BLLF, said it was great dilemma of the hour that the workers that were always supposed to be the backbone of economy were being deprived of their basic rights. He urged the government to seriously look into the issues relating brick kiln workers and provide them the notified minimum wages, social security and CNIC cards, old age benefits, health and safety facilities at their workplaces. He said the BLLF would continue its support to workers all the time. He also urged the sitting Chief Justice of Pakistan to take Suo Moto notice against bonded labour because brick kiln workers have all their hops with the Supreme Court.

Justice (Retired) Faqir Khokhar said the kiln workers must approach to the relevant courts after being deprived of minimum wages or any other legal facility by their owners. She appealed to the workers not to vote to those political parties that had been doing nothing for them since decades.

Dr. Tehmina Roohi, Regional Director ActionAid Pakistan, said that it is very worrying sign of our society that brick kiln owner is selling one brick at Rs. 8 but unfortunately, today brick kiln workers are getting less than 50 paisa per brick. Laal Band presented revolutionary performance for brick kiln workers.

Chaudhry Muhammad Yaqoob, Chief organizer Pakistan workers confederation,   said we are united to demands our rights for workers and fight for the rights in the limits of democracy