Pakistán - Appalling working conditions for contract workers – unionist supporter arrested (2010)

In February, the Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation (PCMLF), an affiliate of the Labour Confederation of Pakistan, staged a protest demonstration in Quetta to protest a mineshaft collapse at the Mach coal mine in which eight mineworkers died. In addition, the names of the contract staff working in the mine had not been registered, including the victims. This is common practice and presents yet another obstacle to organising the sector. The General Secretary of the Pakistan Workers Federation in the region, Haji Muhammad Ramzan Achakzai, was also detained on criminal charges for supporting the mineworkers as well as later being involved in the cases of 250 dismissed Merck employees in Quetta (see Violations 2009: Brutal repression of workers and unionists at the Merck Factory in Quetta).