Press Release

Joint Action Committee Karachi expresses solidarity with Lady Health Workers

KARACHI, March 24: The civil society of Pakistan condemns the brutal torture being inflicted up on the peaceful sit in of All Pakistan Lady Health Workers and Employees Association (APLHW&EA) which was held on 23 March 2011 at Obaro on National Highway, at Sindh-Punjab border. The baton charge, tear gas shelling, and firing was started at midnight, where unarmed and peaceful members of All Pakistan Lady Health Workers and Employees Association were beaten by male policemen, leaving several peacefully protesting women and children injured. This is clear contradiction of the PPP government’s tall claim to labour and women’s rights.

We demand that the 17 detained leaders of the APLHW&EA should be released immediately and false cases lodged against them be withdrawn. Even though the plan for the peaceful sit in was announced weeks back, the Sindh government did not take appropriate measures for the sit in, and even now is trying to subvert the peaceful struggle for the rightful cause of these workers. The Association is demanding of the government to regularize National Health Programme where they have been employed on contact for the last 16 years. Federal health minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Sindh chief minster Qaim Ali Shah, and many other government representatives had assured the association that the programme their services would be regularized . The latest assurance was made by the chief minster after the sit in of association in Karachi that was held on 29 January 2011.

The All Pakistan Lady Health Workers and Employees Association represents the 130,000 lady health workers, lady supervisors, drivers, and accountants working for the National Health Programme which was started in the second Benazir government in 1994. Since then, they are not only working for the basic health programme but also for the several vaccination programmes, family planning programme, DOTS and other such programmes of health ministry. Their services have also been used after the earth quake and floods in Pakistan in the recent years. Despite their tireless services they do not get their salaries on time and their employment have not been regularized. The All Pakistan Lady Health Workers Association was formed in 2007 by Bushra Araien, Khairuninisa, Noor Bano Mallah, and many other lady health workers of Sindh, and now the Association is working across Pakistan. They have raised their demands many times and staged many protests including sit-ins in front of Prime minster house in June, 2010, where the federal health minster had assured them that their services would be regularized soon. But this never happened.

The All Pakistan Lady Health Workers Employees Association had also written letters to the Chief Justice of Pakistan. In turn, the Chief Justice had taken a suo moto action and ordered the federal health ministry to pay minimum wages to the workers of National Health Programme, since previously lady health workers were being paid Rs. 3,200 per month, and lady health supervisors were getting Rs. 5,200.

Now, the situation is that they have been given the salaries for the month of December 2010 in March 2011 but no further payment is being given. The government owes a lot to the toiling workers and employees whom it not only had made subject to gross violation of labour rights but also human rights. The government had also violated the dignity of labour and women in Pakistan. We urge the government to change its priorities to provide basic labour rights and to observe human rights in Pakistan. We also demand of the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice of this atrocious violation of human rights and lodge an independent inquiry against the Sindh government.

Issued By Farhat Parveen
Excutive Director
National Organisation for Working Communities
which is also secretariat of Joint Action Committee Karachi

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Fireworks over lady health workers continue in PA

By Habib Khan Ghori | From the Newspaper April 1, 2011

KARACHI, March 31: Heated arguments from various lawmakers over the issue of regularization of jobs of lady health workers, which dominated the last day of the current Sindh Assembly session, created considerable tension between the treasury and opposition benches on Thursday with the latter expressing resentment over the chair’s denial to move their resolution and adjournment motion on the subject.

Although both the sides had the resolution and adjournment motion on the same subject to move, the treasury members led by Shazia Marri (PPP) and the opposition side headed by Marvi Rashdi (PML-F) remained engaged in heated exchanges as the chair did not allow Ms Rashdi to move her adjournment motion.

The opposition side argued that the treasury member was allowed to move a resolution that was tabled in the previous sitting of the house and intended to be moved again with minor amendments while Ms Rashdi was not allowed to move her adjournment motion on Tuesday and was denied the floor again on Thursday despite the fact that her motion was placed on the order of the day.

Jam Madad Ali, leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly, supported Ms Rashdi’s contention and suggested that she be allowed to table her motion or the motion be ruled ‘not sound on technical ground’.

Fearing a repeat of the disorder witnessed in the house on Tuesday, Speaker Nisar Ahmad Khuhro gave the floor to Dr Ahmad Ali Shah asking him to move his motion seeking permission of the house to table his resolution on the same subject. His motion got through by a voice vote albeit amid chants by some women members of ‘no, no…’ and ‘shame, shame…’.

After the resolution was tabled, many treasury MPAs sought to include their names as co-movers but none from the opposition side came forward.

When Jam Madad Ali was given the floor, he welcomed the resolution but refused to join the movers.

Before the resolution was read out and put to a vote, the chair sought indulgence of Jam Madad Ali, requesting him not to alienate himself and the opposition from the resolution, which reads: “This assembly resolves to pay Shaheed Prime Minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto for inducting 50,000 lady health workers under the Lady Health Workers (LHW) Programme, the most successful initiative in the preventive health sector; appreciates the proactive intervention by the Sindh government to address the existing concerns of the lady health workers; and recommends that the government again approaches the federal government for an immediate and effective resolution of their outstanding issues.”

Senior Minister for Education Pir Mazharul Haq said the opposition had always extended cooperation to the government and supported its resolution and, as such, he would request Jam Sahib not to withdrawn himself from the resolution.

Responding to the plea, Marvi Rashdi said that keeping in view the chair’s order and the difficulties being faced by LHWs, the opposition no more had an objection to becoming co-sponsors of the resolution.

The resolution was put to the vote and it was observed that the entire house supported it. The chair ruled it unanimously passed.

After the questions hour and leave application, the chair disposed of the privilege motion of Dr Nasrullah Baloch, who did not press it.

Law Minister Ayaz Soomro said that he would like to assure the house that no one would be rendered jobless. He also pointed out that a petition was filed in the Supreme Court by LHWs.

Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmad termed lady health workers’ demands ‘justified’, and pointed out that their one major issue was already solved as their stipend had been raised from Rs3,200 to Rs7,000 per month. The chief minister had written to the federal government for their regularisation, he added.

He regretted that on the day the protesting LHWs staged a sit-in in Karachi, one pregnant worker died and two patients among them passed away as they could not get immediate medical assistance because of the blocked roads.

Venting her anger over denial of permission to move her adjournment motion, Marvi Rashdi argued that when all treasury members favoured regularisation of the LHWs, why was she disallowed to move her resolution in the last sitting and why was she denied the permission to table her adjournment motion. She further argued that whatever the members’ views, speeches could have been made after she tabled the motion.

Nusrat Abbasi also wanted to speak in support of her colleague but could not get the chair’s attention.

Mr Khuhro reminded Ms Rashdi that she had mentioned everything without the chair’s permission, and pointed out that before making a political statement, the mover was supposed to speak about admissibility on technical grounds. He said the speeches made by a minister and some members were not aimed at stopping her from moving her adjournment motion but to five reasons behind the delay in the delivery of the issue, i.e. involvement of the federal government, devolution of departments, etc.

Finance Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said there could be good intention of the mover of the adjournment motion but it was not admissible on technical grounds.

Later, the chair put to vote five resolutions one after the other which were passed unanimously.

The resolution moved by Marvi Rashdi paid tribute to legendary Sindhi artist, Roshan Atta, and recommended her name for a life time achievement award.

The resolution tabled by Saleem Khursheed Khokhar paid tribute to journalist Azfar Shah Bokhari for securing the international award from European Union of Parliamentarians.

Nusrat Sehar Abbasi’s resolution urged the Sindh government to approach the Centre with a plea that the census commission should ensure collection of the data of fishermen living far flung areas of Thar, Kohistan, Kachcha areas, islands, etc or remain away from their areas fishing in the deep sea. It called for ensuring that illegal immigrants did not get themselves registered in the census.

The resolution tabled by Pir Mazharul Haq paid tribute to the prime minister and his cabinet, particularly Senator Raza Rabbani, for the adoption of the 18^th constitutional amendment and devolvement of five more subjects, including education, from the concurrent list to the provinces.

Earlier Pir Mazhar informed the chair that PPP MPAs intended to proceed to Islamabad after the session to express solidarity with Taj Haider and Sherjeel Memon, who were issued contempt of court notices.

The speaker then read out the governor’s order proroguing the session.

* From Dawn:
http://www.dawn.com/2011/04/01/fireworks-over-lady-health-workers-continue-in-pa.html

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HRCP flays manhandling of lady health workers

KARACHI: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has expressed serious concern over brutal police action against lady health workers in Sindh and held the Sindh government and provincial authorities responsible for it.

According to reports, batons and tear-gas were indiscriminately used against the protesters, who were holding a peaceful demonstration, demanding regularisation of their services.

The police charged the lady health workers with batons who tried to stage a demonstration outside the Chief Minister’s House for release of their colleagues arrested in Ghotki, Sukkur and Obaro. The police, while thrashing the protesting men and women alike, also rounded up six lady health workers and lodged a case against them.

According to an e-mail received by the HRCP from the Lady Health Workers’ Association chief, Bushra Arain, some 36 women workers were arrested in Qamu Shareef sit-in by the police. They are now detained in Sukkur Jail. The HRCP has strongly condemned the manhandling of lady health workers by the police. The commission has called upon the Sindh government to release all the detained workers and other staff members and ensure that cases registered against them are withdrawn.

In recognition of the crucial nature of their work, the government should regularise their service and provide medical aid and treatment to those demonstrators who were injured at the hands of the police and local administration. pr

* From Daily Times, 30 march 2011:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C03%5C30%5Cstory_30-3-2011_pg7_26

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JOIN THE DEMO IN SOLIDARITY WITH arrested Lady Health Workers

We condemn the arresting of 88 lady health workers and torture on them by Sindh police and Government. We demand their immediate release and announcement of permanent jobs.

Please Join a protest demo tomorrow on Friday to show solidarity with historic women workers’ democratic struggle.

TIME & PLACE: Friday 3pm at Press Club Hyderabad
Organize by

LABOUR PARTY Hyderabad SINDH
WOMEN ACTION FORUM (WAF)

Nasir Mansoor
Labour secretary
Labour Party Pakistan

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