ISLAMABAD, March 6: Labourers of various organisations of the federal capital on Tuesday staged a protest demonstration against price-hike, anti-worker laws and anti-people policies of the government, and retrenchment of workers from various organisations.

They also demanded an increase in the wages and allowances of workers and an end to operations in Balochistan and Waziristan.

Hundreds of workers belonging to trade unions including, Zarai Tarqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), Capital Development Authority (CDA), Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Labour Union, Pakistan Workers Federation (PWF) and Printing Corporation of Pakistan assembled in the ground of the Printing Corporation of Pakistan (PCP). They also marched from Fire Brigade Headquarters to Aabpara Chowk.

On this occasion, heavy security arrangements were made by the capital administration. Heavy contingent of police was deployed to thwart any untoward incident. Traffic was diverted to different routes.

The participants were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans seeking end to “misuse” of public funds by bureaucrats stoppage of deduction from GP fund, condemning termination of employees of Holiday Inn Hotel, job for workers children on priority basis, condemning termination of hundreds of Zarai Tarqiati Bank employees.

Leaders of the trade unions, including Khurshid Ahmed, general-secretary Pakistan Workers Federation (PWF), Chaudhry Yasin of CDA Labour Union, Sardar Abdul Razzaq of PWD union, Saleem Akhtar of Printing Corporation, Shakeel Babar of Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Union, Nawaz Awan, Abdul Sattar, Chaudhry Manzoor, Noor Awan, Chaudhry Talib, Zahoor Awan, Tikka Khan and others spoke on occasion.

They asked the government to take immediate steps to control the sky-rocketing of prices of essential commodities. They were of the view that inflation was soaring day by day while the labourers and the poor were not in a position to tackle the situation.

They said that wages of the labourers were less when compared with the inflation rate. They said that government must increase their salaries and give them the job protection.—PPI