From: Alastair Wilson
Date: 19 Jul 96 04:58:17 EDT
Subject: Trade union repression in Pakistan

The Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign has received a report from the PTUDC
in Pakistan of the arrest of four trade unionists from the Thatta Cement
Employees Union, who had revealed the corruption and looting of the factory
administration and organised a campaign against it's privatisation. 

The victimised trade unionists are: Farooq Asghar Shah, general secretary;
Mohammad Khan Ahmedani, office secretary; Pannah Baluch, joint secretary and
Hayar Jat, information secretary.
The arrests show the desperate levels the bosses have now stooped to. This
represents yet another attack on the trade union movement in Pakistan. The
factory bosses are even attempting to move their head office to Karachi to avoid
the anger of the workforce. The trade union leadership has vowed to continue the
struggle and have appealed for international support in the face of these
attacks. They have also denounced police brutality. Other trade unionists are
also facing arrest and persecution from the factory bosses and their friends in
the state. 
This is not the first attack of the management against the union. The organiser
of the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign in Sindh, Abdul Hafeez Uqaily, was
suspended two months ago from his job at the Thatta Cement factory. 
The reason is that he had written an article in the labour movement paper The
Struggle denouncing corruption of the factory management. This is an attack
against him because he had been struggling consistently against privatisation.
The Pakistani government wants to sell nationalised companies to capitalists.
Workers have been continuously struggling against the privatisation of this
cement factory. The government tried to privatise it three times but failed to
do so because of workers united opposition. Workers in this factory have
witnessed the miserable life facing workers in nearby factories which have been
privatised like Thata Sugar Mills and PVC Gharu.
These nationalised factories were highly profitable for the state. But due to
corruption, after their privatisation they had massive "losses", and this was
used as an excuse for their closure by the private owners, forcing their workers
to unemployment, which is already a huge problem.
As a result workers are organising around the Pakistan Trade Union Defence
Campaign against privatisation. Sooner than later, the workers will make these
private capitalists accountable for their looting of state property.
The chairman of the Punjab Labour Federation and PTUDC activist in Pakistan, Lal
Khan, attended a trade union conference in Nepal where union representatives
from all over South Asia were present. He explained the situation in Pakistan on
the oppression of trade unionists and the oppression of workers, bonded and
child labour, and so on. A resolution in support of the Thatta Cement workers
was passed unanimously and many trade unionists from Nepal, Sri Lanka, India,
Pakistan, Bangladesh and Iraq pledged support for the PTUDC.

We appeal to all trade union, Labour Party and Young Labour branches to pass
resolutions protesting against this attack on basic trade union rights and
supporting the Thatta Cement Employees Union. Donations to cover legal costs of
the campaign are also welcomed. All correspondence to: 

Shahida Jabeen Secretary
PTUDC
PO Box 6977
London N1 3JN


From: Alastair Wilson
Subject: Trade union repression in Pakistan
Date: 27 Jun 96 11:41:03 EDT

PAKISTAN TRADE UNION DEFENCE CAMPAIGN

Four trade unionists at the Thatta Cement Factory in Sind who diclosed the plans
of corruption and loot by the administration of the factory, and organised the
factory workers against its privatisation have been arrested. Their arrest
represent a desperate act by the administration after the failure of its
repeated attempts to privatise the factory had failed due to workers opposition.
Now the administration is planning to transfer the head office to Karachi so
that can be far away from the pressure of the workers.

Farooq Ashgar Shah, general secretary; Mohammad Khan Ahmedian, office secretary;
Pannah Baluch, joint secretary and Hayar Jat, information secretary of the
Thatta Cement Employees Union, are the four jailed trade unionists. They have
wowed to continue the struggle against the corruption and plunder bby the
administration and to resist privatisation. They have appealed for solidarity to
trade union and labour organisations nationally and internationally. They have
been object of police brutality and other trade unionists are facing
persecution. Abdul Hafeez Uqaily, organiser of the Pakistan Trade Union Defence
Campaign in Sind (Pakistan) us still facing extreme hostility and discrimination
in the factory. He had previously been suspended from his job as a result of his
stand against privatisation.

Please send messages of support and donations to:

PTUDC
PO Box 6977
London N1 3JN
Britain

email: 100723.2363@compuserve.com