Pakistán - Gadani ship breaking workers strike (2011)

On 16 June 2010 some 15,000 workers in the Gadani shipyards went on strike over appalling working conditions, low wages and difficult working hours. The workers belonged to the Gadani Ship Breaking Democratic Workers’ Union, which had been deregistered by the Labour Commissioner - a move which the union is contesting in court. The ship breaking workers then formed the Progressive Workers’ Union of Gadani Ship Breaking. The Gadani employers, with the help of local police and the Anti-Terrorist Task Force (ATTF), arrested the Progressive Workers Union of Gadani Ship Breaking President Bashir Mehmood Dani and the other officers when the strike began on 16 June. They were released without charge after workers held a protest and management agreed to negotiate with the union. However, management had also agreed to meet the workers’ demands by 30 June 2010 in return for the union calling off its strike on June 17 but failed to follow through. The ship breaking workers then went on another strike from 5-7 July. In response to this strike, the employers again agreed to start negotiations with the union and the district court.