FAISALABAD - Eleven textile associations of Faisalabad have urged the Employees Old-age Benefit Institution officials to spend worker’s funds only on workers’ welfare.
Under the chair of Rana Arif Tauseef, the chairman of the Pakistan Textile Exporters Association, a delegation of the associations’ representatives met with the local EOBI officials. It consisted of the representatives of the Pakistan Textile Exporters Association, Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association, All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association, All Pakistan Bedsheet and Upholstery Manufacturers Association, All Pakistan Textile Sizing Association, All Pakistan Cotton Power Looms Association, Khurrianwala Industrial Estate Association, Small Power Loom Association, Council of Loom Owners, All Pakistan Embroidery Association and Open End Spinning Association.
Mr Tauseef pointed out that funds collected from the industry and business were not being expended on welfare of genuine workers, widows and marriages of their daughters. Rather many fake workers were obtaining these facilities and depriving the genuine workers and defrauding the government as well, he said.
He demanded details of amounts collected and details of workers on whom these funds were being spent. He stated that Rs70 million were being collected from Faisalabad region but the workers were not getting equal benefits. He also pointed out that the government had collected huge amount of Rs85 billion under worker’s welfare fund but not a single rupee had been spent on workers. He demanded that the amount collected for workers’ welfare should be spent on genuine workers.
He said that the Social Security Department was collecting Rs70 million from Faisalabad but spending just Rs35 million only for healthcare facilities of the workers. The worker patients were not properly being examined by the doctors and deprived of medicine at Social Security hospital.
Addressing the meeting, EOBI Regional Head Sajjad Ahmad assured the participants of the meeting that EOBI funds will expend on labours’ welfare only and the fake elements enjoying benefits would be punished. He admitted that the departmental record was not easily available one year back but the department is in process to computerise all the record for fair transfer of EOBI benefits to needy workers. He hoped that after the computerisation of the record, majority of the problems would be solved.
Later, the participants pledged to adopt joint strategy regarding the EOBI issue or other problems. They also pointed out the problems of their workers.