Financial Appeal for LPP Martyrs

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.


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

Donations so far:
1

Moti Usmani (Grand Mother of Adaner Usmani, LPP member based in US)

200,000

2

Haji Bashir Ahmed (LPP Karachi)

75,000

3

Nasir Mansoor (Labour Secretary LPP)

50,000

4

Shakeel Malik (LPP member based in Germany)

50,000

5

Abeera Ashfaq (LPP Karachi)

50,000

6

Friends and family of Abeera Ashfaq

150,000

7

Rafiq Baloach (president National Trade Union Federation)

50,000

8

Zehra Akbar (Labour Education Foundation Karachi)

10,000

9

Mushtaq Ali Shan (LPP Karachi)

5,000

10

Husna Ali (LPP Karachi)

5,000

11

Ghani Zaman (General secretary NTUF)

5,000

12

Musarrat Jabeen (Women Secretary NTUF)

5,000

13

Khalid Malik (Labour Education Foundation)

25,000

14

Olof Palme International Center, Stockholm

340,000

15

Martin Gemzell (Sweden)

24,373

16

John Reimann (USA)

12,665

17

Felicity Dowling and Comrades from England

23,575

18

Joost Kircz (Holland)

25,836

19

Jimmy Kelly (Ireland)

30,000

20

Leif Larsson (Sweden)

6,000

21

Max Babri (Lahore)

6,000

Total

1,148,449

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)