March, 11 2005	Friday	29 Muharram 1426

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SHEIKHUPURA, March 10: As many as 500 brick-kiln labourers working in the district have protested in the court premises against poor wages and lack of other basic facilities here on Thursday.

The labourers, led by Ilyas Masih, district labour coordinator of kilns, Pakistan, chanted slogans against the behaviour of kiln owners.

Talking to journalists on the occasion, the workers’ leader stated that the government had fixed the rate of katcha bricks at Rs184 per thousand in 2001, whereas the rate of Pacca bricks was Rs1,400 per thousand, which had now touched Rs2,400 per thousands.

He deplored that since 2001 the labourers had been receiving Rs145 for making thousand bricks from the owners without any increase in their wages.

The workers had made repeated requests to the kiln owners to increase their wages according to the government schedule, but in vain, he added.

He demanded that the high-ups of labour department should intervene into the matter and force the district’s kiln owners’ association to increase the wages as per government schedule.

He said that many owners were not providing the workers with residences and other facilities, warning that if their demands were not met they would be compelled to leave the profession.