HYDERABAD, May 23: Labour leaders on Wednesday called for 50 per cent cut in the expenses of President's House, Prime Minister's Secretariat, Governor and Chief Minister houses and withdrawal of raise in the salaries of legislators of provincial and national assemblies, senators and ministers.

A meeting of the office-bearers of Hyderabad and Kotri trade unions affiliated to the National Labour Federation urged the government to bring down price hike to the level of 2002.

The meeting demanded that the government should make it binding on the president, prime minister, governors and advisers to live in houses measuring not more than 600 square yards and impose total ban on the construction of houses exceeding the measurement of 400 square yards.

The meeting called for introducing uniform syllabus in all the schools and urged the government to make it mandatory for the children of the governors and chief ministers to study in government schools. The meeting advised the president and the prime minister to lead by example by observing austerity, demanded abolition of feudal system, Rs2,000 raise in the salaries of workers in the next budget and 30 per cent raise in the salaries of government employees. The rate of pension should also be increased from Rs1,300 to Rs3,000, the meeting said.

The president of the Sindh chapter of the NLF Rana Mehmood Ali Khan said at the meeting that the prices of wheat flour, sugar, cooking oil, ghee, vegetables, meat and fruits were progressively getting out of the reach of even the middle class.

Mr Khan said that the government appeared totally helpless to control prices as it had so far failed to evolve any system in this regard.

The manufacturers keep raising prices of essential items as and when they deem fit without any fear of the government, which most of the time look the other way, he said.