December 17, 2007	Monday	Zilhaj 6, 1428

LAHORE, Dec 16: The Jamaat-i-Islami has also supported the reinstatement of judges like other sections of society because justice is impossible without an independent and honest judiciary.

JI deputy secretary-general Farid Ahmed Piracha stated this while talking to a delegation of Pakistan Workers Federation which visited Mansoora here on Sunday.

Mr Piracha said the JI had always supported workers’ demands pertaining to restoration of trade union rights, job security, increase in pay and allowances, healthcare facilities, abolition of contract system and discontinuation of privatisation.

The delegation, led by federation president Chaudhry Talib Nawaz and Khurshid Ahmed and PILDAT chief executive Ahmed Bilal Mahbub, said the government had given a free hand to traders to raise prices of essential commodities but was not ready to increase pay and allowances of workers in accordance with the cost of living.

It said the government had imposed restrictions on trade union activities and was depriving workers of the facilities available before its takeover.

The daily working hours had been increased from six to 12 hours without corresponding increase in wages in violation of the ILO conventions, it said. —Reporter