WAZIRABAD - The brick kiln owners will go on three-day countrywide strike on June 21 against imposition of 16 per cent general sales tax on bricks. The decision was taken in a meeting of Bhatta Association chaired by Sarfaraz Cheema here in Wazirabad. As many 15,000 brick kilns across Pakistan will join the strike. As a result, six million people attached with the industry will be unemployed. Sarfaraz said that 16 per cent GST imposed on bricks will raise the rate of bricks up to Rs 700 per 1,000 bricks which will directly effect the middle and lower class because they use 90 per cent of the production. And higher class real estate managers making plazas and business centers consume only 5 per cent. He added that the middle and lower class and shelter less try to build their own houses will face hardship after increase in the rate of bricks. He added that 10 millions of people include bhattta labour, mesons and their labourers will be hit directly while business of iron, cement, sand, earth, and coal is related to brick industry. As many as 20,000 labourers of 50 running units of bricks in Tehsil Wazirabad may be unemployed due to closure while there are 15,000 kiln units exist all over Pakistan providing job opportunities to 2 millions labour, he added. Bricks making is a seasonal work and quite raw which depend on suitable weather. No bank or government recognises our business and we run it by personal investment. Bank never gives loan against brick business, he said. Participants of the meeting, expressing their views, stated that government should adopt policy remaining above party such schemes which benefit individuals. Government should save money from weak schemes and give facilities to common man so that they may not need to introduce GST, he added. Closure of construction work will raise the graph of unemployment , he said. The kiln owners who participated in the meeting include Haji Bashir Ahmad (chief patron), Setth Mohammad Nawaz, Mohamad Javed Bhutta, Naeem Shaid, Haji Abdul Razzaq Cheema, Sadaqat Ali Buttar, Abid Hussain Cheema, Qamar Fayyaz Cheema, Mohsin Cheema, Faisal Bashir Cheema, Mohammad Asif Nawaz, Gul Nawaz Cheema , Fayyaz Ahmad Dahar, Ch. Shahnawaz, Ijaz Ahmad Proya, Mohammad Iqbal Warriach, Ijaz Ahmad Hanjra, Afzal Sayan and Faraz Ahmad.