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Privatisation plans in Pakistan to put dockers’ livelihoods at stake
31 October 2006
The ITF has warned that privatisation plans for port operations in Karachi, Pakistan, could have dire consequences for thousands of dockers and their families.
The ITF made the statement in a letter to Pakistan’s Minister for Ports, in support of its affiliate, the Karachi Harbour and Dock Workers’ Union. The union is concerned about imminent proposals to close down the Karachi Dock Labour Board (KDLB) as part of a privatisation process, which could lead to casualisation. Attempts by the union to enter into a dialogue with the government have yielded no response.
In a letter dated 25 October, ITF Dockers’ Section Secretary Frank Leys informed Babar Khan Ghauri, Pakistan’s Minister for Ports and Shipping: “The ITF shares the concerns of its affiliate over the livelihoods of 3,794 dock workers and the future of their families, which are at stake following this decision, which is related to privatisation plans for the port. We also share the union’s concerns over the potential casualisation of labour in terms of both the social and safety implications. The KDLB was of course established to provide regular work and income for dockworkers who had been employed on a casual basis. To revert to a system of casual labour would be a regressive move.”
He also called for the government of Pakistan “to reconsider its decision to close the KDLB, and to enter into discussions with the Karachi Harbour and Dock Workers’ Union as a matter of urgency in the interest of all parties.”
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