PAKISTAN: Victory for textile workers

A 39-day-long strike by some 15,000 power-loom workers in the town of Gojra ended in a stunning victory on August 15 when textile bosses agreed to raise workers' wages from 97 rupees (US$1.61) to 160 rupees ($2.66) per day. They also conceded to demands that all power-loom factories be registered by the government, social security cards be allocated to workers and a public hospital be built in the district. The workers' wages had remained stagnant for the previous 18 years. The strike began on July 8 by around 70% of Gojra's 20,000 textile workers following a 3000-strong public meeting the previous day. The workers formed a union and gave 15 days' notice for their demands to be met, maintaining their strike despite repression by police and textile bosses' gangsters. Some 28 strike leaders remained in jail at the time of the agreement.

From GLW issue 680