Police arrested three protesting workers and criminal cases registered

The protesting workers of ADM garments factory in Korangi industrial area in Karachi showed their anger and desperation against non payment of salaries at the eve of Muslim festival EID. Hundreds of garment workers were demanding salaries and bonus before the Eid festival to buy food and clothes for their families. When the factory management refused them to pay the salaries and bonus, then the workers refused to work and started strike in the factory. The enraged workers started protest and went out of the factory to block the main road in the industrial area.

Some protesting workers were so desperate and angry that they resort to violence. The angry workers torched one car and damaged some other vehicles on the road. But most of the workers were peaceful and continued their protest. The industrial area police tried to disperse the protesting workers with use of force. The police baton charge the protesting workers to disperse them but workers refused to end protest without getting the salaries and bonus.

Finally, paramilitary force arrived and negotiated with protesting workers to end the protest and negotiate with factory management. The forceful protest and determination of workers forced the management to accept the demands. The management finally paid the salaries and bonus to end the protest and to resume the production.

Police repression against workers

The police arrested three workers and registered criminal cases against them on the charges of rioting and obstructing police to perform their duty. The case was registered under Sections 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object). 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint) and 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage to amount of one hundred rupees or (in case of agricultural produce, ten rupees) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

It is interesting fact that police registered cases against protesting workers but no action was taken against the factory management for non payment of salaries and bonus. It has become common practice for factories not to pay salaries to workers for months. The owners and management left no option for the workers to organise protest and strike action to get salaries. When workers protest against injustice and illegal practices of the factory management then police come to help the factory owners and repress the workers.

Implement minimum wage and regular payment

The workers in Pakistan gets very low wages. The minimum wage for unskilled worker is $130 per month. But very few get this minimum wage.  Most of workers are being paid less than the official minimum wage. But when factories refused to even pay the meagre amount to workers after months of hard labour, their anger and frustration is understandable. The government is not seems interested to implement the minimum wage and timely payment of salaries. This is another warning to the industrialists and managers to ensure the timely payment of wages or face the wrath of the impoverished workers.

This is not the first nor the last incident of workers protest. This sort of violent protests will continue to emerge until the factories stop the super exploitation of workers. The factories should work under the laws and not turned into forced labour camps.