KARACHI - Labour and civil society organisations leaders on Thursday expressed serious concern over bureaucratic hurdles created by the Federal Ministry of Overseas and Human Resource Development that is causing further delays in payments of pension to the victims’ families of Baldia factory fire incident.

Addressing a joint press conference, Karamat Ali, Executive Director, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), flanked by Nasir Mansoor, Deputy General Secretary of National Trade Unions Federation; Saeeda Khatoon, Chairperson, Ali Enterprise Fatory Fire Affectees Association; Habibuddin Junaidi, Convener, Sindh Labour Solidarity Committee; Zehar Khan, General Secretary of Home-Based Women Workers Federation; Aziz Bhai, General Secretary of the affected families association and Abdul Rauf, General Secretary of Muttahida Labour Federation (MLF), demanded release of the funds to the Sindh Employees Social Security Institutions (SESSI) for payment of pensions to the affected families.

“We call upon the prime minister to take stern action against the responsible bureaucrats in Federal Ministry who are creating hurdles in payments of pension to the victims’ families,” said Karamat Ali. He gave a three-day ultimatum to the federal government to resolve the issue, otherwise, he said a protests would be organized across the country.

Karamat Ali explained the process and said that the German textile buyer KIK Textillien had provided Dollar 5.15 million via International Labour Organisation (ILO) for pension to the affected families under an agreement and after determination of the pension’s payment mechanism, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (ILO) with Sindh government for the payment.

In December 2016 the German company KIK transferred 5.15 million dollars in the accounts of ILO in Geneva. ILO took about one year to determine the amount of pension and the procedure for disbursement. It was decided that provincial government’s social security institution would disburse the pension, he added.

Karamat Ali said the Federal Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development suddenly wake up, otherwise, it did nothing for the welfare of the victims families and asked the ILO that the pension amount cannot be released to Sindh government without its endorsement of the MoU. On 28th March the ILO sent the MoU to the Federal Government for endorsement, he said adding that delay tactics are being adopted by the federal government.

“We condemn the attitude of federal government’s Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, which has nothing to do with the Labour affairs particularly when after 18th Amendment the Labour is completely a provincial Subject,” said Habibuddin Junaidi. He also demanded to abolish such type of ministry which is encroachment of provincial affairs. Nasir Mansoor said the affected families are facing problems and mental agony due to delays in payment pensions. The entire process has been singed by the provincial government of Sindh and the Federal Ministry’s bureaucracy is sitting on the file just for endorsement for one month.

An Oversight Committee has already been established to supervise the pension disbursement process and in a last meeting the members of the Committee came to know that due to delay in endorsement by the federal government the payment of pension is withheld. After the press conference the members of victim families staged a protest demonstration against delay in payment of the pension.