LAHORE: Electricity workers took to the street on Tuesday to press the government for the acceptance of their demands, especially of one-month salary as bonus ahead of Eidul Fitr.

The workers carrying national flags and red banners gathered outside Bakhtiar Labour Hall on the call of All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union. They marched up to the Lakshmi Chowk where they staged a demonstration for acceptance of their demands.

Addressing the protesters, workers leader Sajid Kazmi said salaries and pension of those employed both in public as well as private sectors should match the price hike.

Osama Tariq demanded that house rent, conveyance and other allowances of the employees working in federal, provincial and semi government departments and autonomous bodies should be increased at least by 50 per cent of their basic pay scales.

Rana Shakoor said unprecedented inflation had been the concern of 80 per cent of the country’s population and absence of any effective price-control mechanism had given profiteers, stockists and black marketers an opportunity to trigger price spiral even during Ramazan.

Muzaffar Mateen said the government should initiate prompt, ruthless and indiscriminate measures against the elements responsible for “artificial price hike”.

Veteran trade union leader Khurshid Ahmed said minimum wages should be fixed at Rs20,000 per month and its payment should also be ensured.

He demanded formulation of a policy for provision of easy loans to skilled workers, enabling them to earn their livelihood. Old-age pension for industrial and commercial workers should be at least Rs15,000 per month, said Mr Ahmed while urging all political forces and civil society organisations to join hands to fight against poverty, ignorance and injustice and for the development of democracy at the grassroots level in the country.

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2016