No plan for five-day week, two days outage only of natural gas: Official

[Naveed Yaseen]

Adviser to Sindh CM says industry may run 24/7 if it wants, gas conservation plan meant only for NWFP, Punjab

Tuesday, November 10, 2009
By Farhan Zaheer

KARACHI: The government was not even thinking of two holidays a week for the industry and the recent steps of the government were for gas management owing to its shortage. The industry may run seven days a week and on gazetted holidays if it wants to, said Zubair Motiwala, renowned industrialist and Adviser to Chief Minister Sindh on Economic Affairs.

Last week, a big hue and cry was observed when industrialists and businessmen asked the government not to endorse the idea of two holidays a week.The government in a bid to conserve energy had announced a gas management plan, especially for Punjab and NWFP, which entailed gas supply cut for two days a week on rotational basis for industries and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) stations.

The government action was misread by many as a two-day closure of industries despite the fact that the government announced that industries may run on Saturdays on furnace oil or diesel instead of gas.

“The gas load management plan was mainly for Punjab and NWFP, for Sindh there has not been much gas shortage so industries in the southern region have relatively more space,” he said when asked how gas management would affect industries in the southern region.

“No government could even think to shut down industry for two days a week in these times of crisis. The government has no plans to shut down industry for two days a week,” he said firmly.

The government put forward the gas load management plan owing to the shortage of gas in the country. Mushroom growth of 2,700 CNG stations and phenomenal surge in gas consumption were the factors behind this government move of gas conservation, he added.

Industrialists, especially from Sindh, have been demanding the government compensate strike days and forced holidays with the gazetted holidays so that industrial output could not be affected owing to haphazard holidays.

Last week, the SITE Association of Industry Karachi repeated their same demand to the Sindh government.Under the international labour laws, a worker should work for 40 hours a week and he or she would only be entitled for overtime if he works more than this. What industry wants is to give overtime to those workers only who complete 40 hours a week. In present crisis, industries may run seven days a week, Motiwala continued.

Siraj Kassam Teli, Patron in-Chief of SITE Association of Industry, said there is no issue of running industries on gazetted holidays as no law barred industry in this regard. But, running industry on gazetted holidays would increase the cost of production, for labourers ask for overtime.

Idrees Gigi, Former Chairman of Federal B Area Association of Trade and Industry said that some three years back, industrialists used to run on gazetted holidays but now the situation has changed.

Owing to the slowdown in economy and dwindling industrial output, it is not feasible now for the industry to run on holidays. Law and order, limited orders, rising cost of production have been the core reasons behind this development, he said, adding that giving additional overtime to workers on holidays would also increase overhead expenses.

When asked why industrialists were opposing two holidays a week, he said that the rising cost of production was the core reason as industrialists would have to give overtime to labourers. He added that no law actually bans industrial production on gazetted holidays. It seems that now very few units would like to operate on holidays, they may if present conditions improve and there are substantial amount of profitable orders to be furbished.

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