Factory workers threaten protest over non-payment of salary.

HARIPUR -- The management of a ghee manufacturing unit in the Hattar Industrial Estate has failed to honour its promise of clearing dues of labourers by June 18, sources at the deputy director labour Hazara division office and the affected workers told reporters here on Thursday.

The workers threatened to protest if their dues were not cleared by next week.

According to a letter sent by the office of deputy director labour Faizullah Khan to the director labour Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the unit's management had sold its business in May, but before doing so it terminated over 60 workers.

The management paid wages to the workers till May, but did not pay them other benefits like gratuity, leave pay, notice pay etc, which were due under the labour laws.

The workers staged protest outside the factory gate for a couple of days, after which a meeting of representatives of the sacked workers and labour leaders was organised chaired by the deputy director labour on June 10. During the meeting, the management had agreed to clear all the terminal dues of the sacked workers by June 18.

Ghee manufacturing unit had promised to clear dues by June 18

When contacted, Ghulam Hussain, a representative of workers, said their former employer had not paid them dues forcing them to protest.

He said some middle men had contacted them offering to pay 45 to 60 per cent of the dues, which was not acceptable to them.

Meanwhile, Tahir Amin, divisional president of PTI's labour wing, said efforts were afoot to ensure payment of dues to the sacked...