The Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign and the Sindh Employees Alliance organized a conference against the ban on the teachers' union, unions of non-teaching staff in educational institutions and on labour unions in the country, at the Karachi Press Club on November 25. The President of the SPLA (Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association), Syed Riaz Ahsan presided the conference while comrade Manzoor Ahmed, Member of the National Assembly and President of the PTUDC was the chief guest.

Speakers in the conference included Rafiq Jarwar, Chairman Sindh Employees Alliance, Liaqat Aziz Solangi, General Secretary SPLA, Comrade Jam Saqi, Hameeda Ghanghro, Mirza Maqsood, Shahbaz Phulpoto, Sheikh Majeed, Qasim Anwar, Noor Muhammad, Jaffar Ahmed, Liaqat Sahi, Muhammad Khan Ahmadani, Karamat Hussain, Ayub Qureshi, Fareed Awan, Latif Mughal, Manzoor Razi, Sheikh Muhayud din, Riaz Lund Advocate, Tariq Watan Yar, Anwar Panhwar, Ali Yawar and others.

The chief guest, comrade Manzoor Ahmed, in his address said that all the governments in Pakistan till now have been anti-labour governments. Also, the present parliament cannot pass a single Bill to protect the rights of workers. Rather it has passed anti-labour laws and has banned trade union activity in the country. The ban on Sindh teachers' union is also a continuation of these policies. These rulers want the workers to bow their heads before the bosses. But, he added, "I salute the teachers of Sindh for the valour and determination with which they have fought against this ban and on behalf of the PTUDC, I support them not only in their struggle but in the struggle of workers in all departments and factories."

Comrade Manzoor also said that now only 16 departments are left for privatisation and in order to achieve this, the government has banned trade unions in all these departments so that the workers cannot protest against this privatisation. "We should unite and challenge the government over these policies."

The President of the SPLA, Syed Riaz Ahsan in his presidential address said that the Sindh government is not only anti-teachers but also anti-labour. It wants to destroy the education system and sell the educational institutions to private owners. After this only rich people would be able to get an education while the doors of education will be closed for poor. He added that, "We are thankful to Comrade Manzoor Ahmed and the PTUDC for raising our voice in the National Assembly and internationally and we will continue our struggle in coordination with the PTUDC."

All the other speakers condemned the ban on the teachers' union in Sindh and said that we should unite on a single platform to bring together the struggles in different institutions and hailed the PTUDC for organizing a labour conference in Rawalpindi in December with this purpose in mind.

A large number of workers from teachers' organisations and other labour organisations affiliated to the PTUDC. A large number of women also participated in this conference.

At the end some resolutions were passed unanimously regarding the ban on teachers' and non-teachers' unions in educational institutions, the ban on students' unions, and expressing opposition to privatisation, contract labour and the brutal policies of government.

You can also see a photo gallery of the conference by clicking here .