LAHORE, Jan 30: Hundreds of Wapda workers staged a demonstration against high prices of essential commodities at the Laxami Chowk here on Monday.

The workers gathered at the Labour Hall and marched to Laxami Chowk raising slogans against the government for its failure to check profiteering in consumer goods business.

Addressing the workers, Pakistan Wapda Hydro-Electric Central Labour Union Secretary General Khurshid Ahmed and other leaders said that the wage-earners were finding it difficult to purchase commodities like sugar, petrol and flour and pay utility bills due to unchecked increase in the same.

He said that the government should either check prices of essential commodities or raise the pay and allowances of workers in accordance with the increase in the cost of living.

He opposed the privatisation of power distribution companies, the Karachi Port Trust and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines and demanded construction of thermal and hydel power stations in public sector for avoiding loadshedding.— Reporter