Transporters' strike hits industrial production

Production activities in city's five industrial estates - Site, Korangi, Landhi, Federal B Area and North Karachi - remained below par mainly due to the absence of staff. The transports strike against recent increase in petroleum prices disrupted the industrial production activities as number of industrial employees using pubic transport failed to report on duty.
However no report was received from any industrial area that units remain closed due to non-availability of transport. Some of the industrialists have made transport arrangement to keep the units operative. The biggest sufferers were the daily wageworkers who lost one-day wage due to non-availability of transport to report on duty. Chairman Federal B Area Association of Trade and Industry (FBAATI), Mohammad Irfan said that around 40 percent industrial workers failed to report to duty owing to non- availability of transport.
He said that in the early hours of the day containers remained off the road. However in the evening they started moving in and hopefully export shipment and dispatching of goods to upcountry will start by Friday morning. He urged the government to resolve the oil prices issue at the earliest so that the industry should operate smoothly and without facing any hardship.
Mohammad Irfan expressed concern over the news that the government is going to increase 2 percent electric tariff every month. He said it is an illogical decision and government must consult stakeholders before taking any such decision. He pointed out that cost of manufacturing is already on higher side and this two percent increase will further escalate production cost.
Exports are dwindling and Pakistan exporting yarn instead exporting value added goods, he expressed concern. He expressed apprehension over IMF conditions and said that whatever conditions may be government must prefer to keep the industries operative. Chairman Site Association of Industry (SAI), Wahab Lakhani said that industrial units in this industrial estate remained operative but with thin attendance.
He said around 40 percent workforce managed to report on duty. Container remains operative and there was no difficulty in disputing export as well as upcountry consignments. President, Site Superhighway Association of Industry (SSAI), Raja Mohammad Ilyas said that only 50 percent labour reported on duty which has affected production actives adversely.
He said exports and upcountry movement of goods comes to stand still due to non-availability of transport. Former Chairman, North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKTI), Captain Moiz Khan said that the attendance was around 50 percent in industrial units which has crippled inndustrial production activity He said export shipment and upcountry movements of goods come to stand still due to non-availability of transport.