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| December 29, 2006 | Friday | Zilhaj 07, 1427 |
Workers protest against inflation
LAHORE, Dec 28: Hundreds of Wapda workers took out a procession here on Thursday and staged a demonstration in front of the Lahore Press Club to protest against the unchecked inflation, growing lawlessness and neglect of power construction projects on World Bank pressure.
The procession was taken out from the Bakhtiar Labour Hall on the call of the Pakistan Wapda Hydro-Electric Central Labour Union. Carrying placards and raising slogans against inflation and privatization, workers reached the press club after marching on Nisbet Road and Abbot Road.
Addressing the workers, union secretary-general Khurshid Ahmed said that wage-earners were finding the goings hard due to failure of the government to control the prices of essential commodities and maintain law and order.
He said that traders had been given a free hand to raise the prices but pay and allowances were not being raised in accordance with the increase in cost of living. He said workers could not get their pay and allowances increased through collective bargaining owing to restrictions on trade unionism.
GSC Wing chairman Bashir Dogar criticised the government for delaying the construction of new hydropower projects and breaking-up Wapda power construction and distribution system under the World Bank pressure. —Reporter
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