KABUL (Pajhwok): Participants of a ceremony marking International Labor Day in Kabul on Wednesday asked the government take practical steps for finding solution to the increasing unemployment.
May 1 is marked as International Labor Day worldwide.
Marufi Qaderi, head of National Union of Afghanistan Workers (NUAW), addressing the ceremony, said workers had no job security in Afghanistan and unemployment was increasing in the country by each passing day.
He said currently more than nine million people in Afghanistan were suffering from joblessness.
He sought practical steps for reducing poverty and increase in salaries and said the government should stop child labor and send Afghan workers abroad.
Qaderi also called for creation of a court to address violence cases against workers and observing international conventions regarding laborer rights.
“The government for the last 13 months has confiscated all income and properties of this independent organization which is an illegal action, these properties should be given back to the union,” he said.
The Ministry of Finance says properties of the union are owned by the state as per the Cabinet decision and a presidential decree.
Qaderi said all bank accounts of the union had been closed and workers of the union had not received their salaries since a year.
He asked the government to reopen the union’s bank accounts and return its revenue.
Central Council of Labor Union of Afghanistan also celebrated the International Labor Day in a separate event in Kabul.
Mohammad Ibrahim Niazai, head of the council, said that high unemployment in the country had caused increase in criminal cases and the government should work for creating jobs for youths.
He said more than 300,000 educated Afghan youths were currently jobless in the country.
Addiction of youths and people’s flight from the country are other factors of joblessness, he said.
He said programs should be developed for creating jobs and preventing youths from leaving the country.
“Insecurity is one of major reasons of joblessness in the country but if there is peace and investment, the problem would resolve to some extent,” he concluded.
mds/ma
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