June 08, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Sani 03, 1429

HYDERABAD, June 7: A large number of brick kiln workers under the aegis of Hari Mazdoor Tanzeem staged a demonstration outside the press club here on Saturday against alleged atrocities of kiln owners.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Hyder, Punhoon Bheel, Jami Oad and others said that more than one hundred illegal and unregistered brick kilns had been established in the Hyderabad rural taluka where thousands of workers were employed. They said that these workers were working as bonded labourers.

They said that the kiln workers were being treated as slaves and were not even provided drinking water. They said that Tandojam and Husri police were backing the kiln owners and was a privy to these atrocities.

They alleged that only a few days ago, 60 kiln workers working at the kiln of Koka Pathan were kidnapped and smuggled to Punjab with the connivance of police.

They demanded that these 60 workers should be recovered and action should be taken against the kiln owners for keeping the workers in bondage.—Bureau