KARACHI, June 1: Speakers at a meeting on Thursday demanded that trade union activities be allowed in all the organizations and that ban on employment in railways be lifted immediately.

Speaking at a workers meeting, organized by Pakistan Railways Workers Federation near the City Station, the speakers Manzoor Razi, Ghulam Sarwar and others said every worker had a right to participate in trade union activities, and the government by imposing ban on trade unions was not only violating International Labour Organization’s (ILO) conventions, which it had signed, but was also violating its own laws.

They further demanded that ban on employment in railways be lifted and children of the railway workers be recruited on these vacancies.

They also demanded that keeping in view the inflation, the minimum wages be fixed at Rs 10,000, and recreation allowance, which has been withdrawn, be restored.

They also called for improving the conditions of railways hospital and ensuring for availability of medicines. The workers also chanted slogans in support of their demands.

PEN-DOWN STRIKE: The All-Pakistan Trade Unions Organization (APTUO) Senior Vice President Habibuddin Junaidi and National Trade Unions Federation Pakistan (NTUFP) General Secretary Saleem Raza on Thursday announced their support to an ongoing nationwide pen-down strike of clerks for increase in their salaries and against forced retrenchments.