The cost of strikes... By Mubashir
18 January, 2013
Whenever Pakistan's economic hub, Karachi, faces a shutter down strike, the media reports that a three to four billion rupee loss occurs. Recently, the metropolitan city saw a complete shutter down strike on which the President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Haroon Agar's statement was published in a leading English newspaper in which he said that such a loss had taken place in trade and industry, which includes import/export, government revenues and daily production. This means that when the port city is disturbed, it causes a huge loss to Pakistan's economy and people also suffer financially. Thousands of daily wage workers live and work in Karachi and they suffer the most because of these routine shut downs. Such complete shutter down strikes have been seen for 10-15 days in the whole year, which means a total loss of around Rs 50 billion. If the motorway can be protected by a good police force, why are the Karachi police not given a good enough salary and trained well enough so that they can perform efficiently when these shutter down strikes are called? Rs 50 billion is no small amount. After the next general elections, a credible, honest and non-political police force should be appointed in Karachi so that the city remains calm and safe for business. MUBASHIR MAHMOOD
Karachi
|
