Affectees of Baldia factory fire protest against ILO's 'undemocratic attitude'.

KARACHI -- Affectees of the Baldia factory fire staged a demonstration in front of the Karachi Press Club (KPC) here on Sunday in protest against what they termed an undemocratic attitude of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The demo was organised by the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), Association of Affectees of Baldia Factory Fire and Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler), led by association leaders Muhammad Siddique and Husna Khatoon.

Among the protesters were a large number of the heirs of the martyred labourers, injured workers, and representatives of political, social and human rights organisations and trade unions, including Nasir Mansoor of the NTUF, Karamat Ali of the National Labor Council (NLC), Gul Rehman of the Workers' Rights Movement, Khizer Qazi of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), and Muhammad Siddique, Hasna Khatoon and Muhammad Jameel of the Association of Affectees of Baldia Factory Fire.

Speaking on the occasion, the protest leaders said that in 2016, a pact was inked between the German brand KiK, IndustriaAll Global Union and Clean Cloth Campaign (CCC) under which the German brand handed over $5.1 million to the ILO for a long-term compensation to the heirs of those died in the fire and the injured.

NTUF, Piler lend their support to protesters

Under the agreement, an oversight committee was also formed for investment in Pakistan, payment to the affectees in installments and other related matters with the representation of the related labour organisations, heirs of the victims, employers, labour department and the ILO, they said.

In the pact, they said, it was decided that the money would be invested in Pakistan so that lifetime payment to the affectees could be made possible and till the funds were invested with mutual agreement, an agreed amount would be paid to the affectees on a monthly basis.

In that regard, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the ILO and government of Sindh through which monthly payment to the affectees was carried out through the Sindh Employees Social Security...