KARAK: Salt miners have boycotted work to protest against non-payment of compensation to those who were either killed or maimed during work.

Addressing the protesters at Lakani area here the other day, district president of the labour union Malik Naveed Khattak said that about eight miners had been killed and at least 23 others injured during work in the mines but their families had not yet been compensated.

He said that several workers were no more able to work in mines, adding that Rs10,000 had been paid to the deceased and Rs4,000 to the injured miners, which was sheer injustice with their families.

The labour union leader demanded payment of marriage and death grants for the sons and daughters of labourers and old age benefit cards and pension benefits to them.

He said that complete record of the labourers should be maintained at the site of mines and that mine managers should make inspections of the mines before entry of workers for quarrying salt.

Only after clearance certificates from the mine managers, should the miners be allowed to move inside, he added.

Mr Khattak also demanded establishment of a labour colony in the district.

ELECTRICITY BILLS BURNT: The workers and office-bearers of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Isak Chountra union council chapter, burnt monthly power bills here the other day to protest 20 hours long loadshedding in the area.

The PTI activists led by union council president Shamsur Rehman also held a protest demonstration at Dabb and regretted that they were getting inflated bills despite prolonged outages.

The protesters said that under an agreement with Pesco, they had been depositing Rs1,000 per household to the company, but the power utility failed to honour its commitment of ensuring smooth power supply.

The protesters said that the government was forcing the nation to launch civil disobedience movement as problems of people were increasing day by day.

They also demanded resignation of the prime minister for ‘failure’ to realise the promises made with the people at the last general elections.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2014