KARACHI, May 30: The Pakistan Workers’ Federation on Wednesday expressed concern over rising prices of daily use commodities, utility bills and increasing unemployment and termed the government’s policies a total failure.

“Owing to the skyrocketing prices of different items, people are compelled to hand over their children to the Edhi Welfare Trust. But the government is least bothered about solving the problems of the labour class,” said Chairman, PWF, Mohammad Ahmed.

The PWF leader asked of the government to lower the prices of petroleum products, daily use commodities, transport fares, and increase pensions, monthly salaries, allowances and daily wages in accordance with the market rates of different items.

He said the national exchequer was being lavished on the huge cabinet, federal secretaries and non-developmental expenditures, but the labour class, which formed a major portion of the total population, was always ignored in the budget. He said that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz’s promise to labourers on May 1 seemed to be a hollow slogan.

It was said that poor people were unable to purchase necessary items like rice, flour and oil.