10 October 2004	Sunday	24 Shaban 1425

QUETTA, Oct 9: Hundreds of government employees belonging to the Balochistan Labour Workers Federation Ittehad gathered on the premises of city district government on Saturday and denounced "anti-labour" ordinances.

They demanded that these ordinances, promulgated by the president, be revoked.

BLWFI chief Khan Zaman presided over the public meeting where Sher Muhammad Lodhi, Khair Muhammad, Hasan Baloch, Haji Azizullah, Abdul Ghaffar, Salam Baloch, Ali Zar, Malik Imtiaz, Sultan Muhammad Mazdooryar and Noor Muhammad made speeches.

They criticized the government for ignoring the demands of the working class which played a vital role in the country's development. They vowed that labourers and workers would never surrender before "anti-worker" rulers.

They blamed the authorities of the Public Health Engineering, Quetta Development Authority, Water and Sewerage Authority, and irrigation, food, agriculture and communication departments for creating hurdles in the resolution of problems faced by their employees.

The BLWFI representatives dubbed the president's ordinances "death warrants" for labourers and announced that they would continue struggle till the government repealed them. They said these laws hurt the interest of the working class.

The speakers demanded that the government pay salaries to employees of various departments who have gone unpaid for months.

The government should honour its commitment "made with us" to implement "our demands" or the BLWFI would launch a protest movement.