Financial Appeal

We had launched a finance appeal on in mid December 2009 to raise funds for the families of comrades who lost their lives in a tragic accident on 13 December in Baluchistan.

We have good response to our appeal; we have raised almost 30 percent of our target of raising Rupees 3 million.

So far we have collected PKR 1,148,449 (US $ 13,511). Detail of the
funds collected is as under:

We urge the comrades in Pakistan and around the world to come and help to raise the rest of the amount. A certain amount will be deposited in the bank accounts of the families of the four comrades. That will generate some monthly income for the families and the original amount will be safe for them.

Here are the details of the incident

In a tragic road accident on 13th December 2009 near Ormara, Balochistan, Labour Education Foundation, Labour Party Pakistan and National Trade Union Federation lost four most brilliant comrades. They were Najma Khanum, Rehana Kausar, Abdul Salama Salam and Wahid Baluch. They were in the coastal region, one of the most deprived areas of the country, to organize the home based women workers (HBWW) on one platform. They held two focus group meetings and a big consultation on 11-12 and 13 December in port cities of Pasni and Gawadar to form core groups and clusters of local HBWW and planned to organize more meeting in the region in month of January next year.

Comrade Abdul Salam, Najma Khanum, Rehana Kausar and Wahid Baloch were dedicated member of the team who lost their lives for the cause of downtrodden masses and were on mission till their last breadth.

Another member of team, Mohammed Rafiq Baloch, central president  National Trade Union Federation, Pakistan (NTUF) survived but severely injured in that fatal accident.

 Comrade Abdul Salam, Najma Khanum and Rehana Kausar were the staff members of Labour Education Foundation (LEF). While Wahid Baloch was the trade union activist in industrial city of Hub and by profession he was the driver.

Abdul Salam, 29 was the coordinator on peace, democracy and trade union issues. He was elected central Finance Secretary of National Trade Union Federation, Pakistan (NTUF) in 2007. He was the Secretary of Labour Party Pakistan, Karachi chapter for 2007-2009. Comrade Abdul Salam had initiated number of awareness activities for the trade union members, young students and political activists. He conducted 6 study circles on social economic and political issues monthly in different localities of working class. He was the guiding force behind his last initiative of six month training course on labour laws for new and young trade union activist in a view to have a team of committed workers who represent the workers in labour courts.

He was on the of editorial board of Mazdoor Jeddojehad for two years, regular contributor in respect of articles to Mazdoor Jeddojehad in Urdu and Pashto, he was the main source for the LEF’s monthly “Newsletter’. He had translated a Pashto naval of Noor Mohammed Tarakai in to Urdu. He was Pashto poet of good repute and organizer of the “Jurs” a progressive Pashto literary forum in Karachi. He belongs to working class family, his was himself started his career as textile worker in Al Karam Textile Mill where he was expelled from job nine year ago because of trade union activities, he had contested the management in court and won the case in October 2009.

Najma Khanum, 38 was social activist and was the former councilor of  the area mainly comprising of working class. She had been staff member of LEF since 2003. She was the social mobilizer to organize the home based women workers. She was the leader of her community and always at the forefront of all the political, trade union and woman right related rallies and demos. She had form a women theatre group of young girls with the title of “Apna Theatre”, means “Our Theatre”, their performances on May Day, Women day and on other important events were always the important portion of the programs. She was also the former member of Pakistan National Squad of field hockey. She served LPP as women secretary for two years from 2007 to 2009. She had been running the home based women workers cooperative in Yousuf Ghoth for four years.

Rehana Kausar of 26 one of the youngest staff member of LEF, she had started to work as part time teacher at adult literacy center in Gadap town. And become social mobilizer in 2006. She was very energetic and committed with the cause and greater fighter; she was the active member of LPP.

Wahid Baloch 40, basically trade union activist and was retrench from  job by the Bawani Air Products manufacturing company three years ago where he work as driver because he was trying to form union in the factory. No factory was inclined to give him job in Hub city industrial area due to his union related activities. He was involved in all activities of National Trade Union Federation and partly works as driver with NTUF.

All the comrades were from very poor and working class families. Three were working with full time for the LEF and fourth one, the driver was an unemployed trade unionist.

Comrade Abdul Salam leaves behind two little kids, two and four year old and a young widow. Salam was the only one working. Najma leaves behind three children but to some extent grown up, from 13 to 20, all are studying. Her husband have job of contractual nature with very little earnings, living in rented house.

Driver Wahid Baloch leaves behind 6 young kids, the eldest is only 14. Wahid was only the source to run the home. His old father and mother also live with his family in rented house.

While Rehana was not yet married, but one of the nine sister and brothers, and one of the two bread winners among them. She was also only hope for her old aged bedridden mother and father.

We as representatives of LEF, NTUF and LPP jointly pledge to do our best to cater the needs of their families and to work hard for the accomplishment of the cause for which they scarified their lives. In this respect we need your help. We appeal to entire circle of their
friends, comrades and well wisher to come forward to show their solidarity with the families of our shining comrades. We have launched this appeal to all of you to support us to raise 3,000,000 Pak Rupees (35,300 US$) for the permanent well being of the four families.

Your contribution will accommodate financial needs of families of our departed comrades, strengthen the confidence in movement and further the cause working people of Pakistan. Labour Education Foundation (www.lef.org.pk) is a social organization set up in 1993; its main work is to strengthen trade unions in Pakistan. It has done great work to unionize many unorganized workers and strengthening trade unions especially National Trade Union Federation, Pakistan (NTUF) in Pakistan.

You can send your contributions to the bank account of LEF as per following details:

From Abroad:
A/C Title: Labour Education Foundation
A/C Number: 01801876
Swift: ALFHPKKALDA
Bank: BANK ALFALAH LTD., LDA PLAZA Branch, KASHMIR ROAD, LAHORE, PAKISTAN.

From Pakistan:
A/C Title: Labour Education Foundation
A/C Number: 01137752
Bank: BANK ALFALAH LTD., LDA PLAZA Branch, KASHMIR ROAD, LAHORE, PAKISTAN.

Looking forward for your encouraging responses,

Farooq Tariq, (spokesperson Labour Party Pakistan)

 Nasir Mansoor, (Deputy General Secretary, National Trade Union Federation)

Khalid Mehmood   (Director, Labour Education Foundation)