November 29, 2007	Thursday	Ziqa’ad 18, 1428

HYDERABAD, Nov 28: Hundreds of workers staged a march from Labour Hall to the press club under the banner of Pakistan Workers Federation on Wednesday in protest against curbs on media, imposition of emergency and presidential ordinance 2000 and IRO-2002.

The secretary general of PWF, Abdul Latif Nizamani, who led the march with other labour leaders condemned curbs on print and electronic media and enactment of what he termed as draconian laws against the working class.

He called upon people from all walks of life to launch a joint struggle against the lawlessness, massive unemployment and hyperinflation, which had become the order of the day.

He demanded that Wasa and HDA employees should be paid salaries, presidential ordinance 2000 and IRO-2002 should be revoked, ban on trade unions in Pakistan Railway, PIA and KESC should be lifted, retrenchment in PTCL and other government enterprises in the garb of privatisation should be stopped, fundamental human rights should be restored, independence of judiciary and media should be ensured and all the arrested lawyers, political activists and judges should be freed.

Our Nawabshah correspondent adds: Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union demanded that the government should lift emergency and withdraw ordinances 2000 and IRO-2002.

Fazal Mohammad Shaikh, divisional chairman of the union, said at a gathering of workers at the Old Power House in Manuabad that the Ordinance 2000 and Banking Companies Ordinance were anti-labour laws hence they should be repealed.

The government should immediately stop sacking employees from PTCL, Wapda and other organisations in the name of privatisation and demanded restoration of constitution, release of lawyers and political workers and free and fair elections under an independent election commission.