KARACHI:
Labor rights activists and representatives of dock workers announced a protest demonstration in front of the Karachi Press Club on February 9 against the proposed closure of the Karachi Dock Labor Board (KDLB), warning that the move could put thousands of workers out of work and dismantle a decades-old regulatory system at the port.
The announcement was made at a press conference held at the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday by the leaders of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and the Karachi Dock Labor Board Workers’ Alliance. Among those who addressed the media were HRCP President Asad Iqbal Butt, union leaders Habib Janedi, Nasir Mansoor, Hussain Badshah, Farhat Parveen and others.
Speakers said the Karachi Dock Labor Board is an autonomous regulatory body responsible for registering dock workers and allocating work on a rotational basis. They explained that stevedoring and shipping companies are first registered with the council, which then regulates their operations. Every time a ship docks at a jetty, the company concerned informs the board of directors about its labor requirements and registered dockers are deployed accordingly.
They said dockworkers work in two shifts and are paid based on the amount of work done. Wages are first deposited with the Dock Labor Board and, after the end of each month, transferred directly to workers’ bank accounts. In addition, a tax is levied per ton of merchandise, which is devoted to the welfare of dockworkers.
The leaders stressed that the Karachi Dock Labor Board does not receive any subsidies from the government and does not constitute a financial burden on the state. They alleged that a single port user company was lobbying for the “economic murder” of 2,600 dockworkers and accused the government of trying to dismantle the council under this pressure.
They further said that six unions had formed an alliance to resist the move and had already launched a symbolic strike at the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) headquarters, with plans to widen the scope of protests in the coming days.
Union leaders demanded an immediate end to what they described as a program to put 2,600 dockworkers out of work. They also demanded payment of retirees’ pensions without deductions, approval of the dockers’ charter of demands, an increase in Dock Labor Board contributions, inclusion of young workers in the seniority list in accordance with existing agreements and strict implementation of agreements between the collective bargaining agent (CBA) and management in accordance with labor law.
They concluded by urging the government to withdraw any proposed move to abolish the Karachi Dock Labor Board, warning that failure to do so would lead to an escalation of the protest movement.
