HYDERABAD, Oct 30: A group of former employees of Zeal Pak Cement Factory observed a token hunger strike outside the press club on Thursday to protest against the non-payment of their outstanding dues by the factory management.

Talking to newsmen, Sardar Ali Shah, Shahjehan Shah, Ikramuddin, Adam Khan and others said the management and the CBA had relieved 587 permanent employees in January 2002 under the golden handshake scheme.

They said employees were given gratuity cheques out of which 241 had bounced as there was no balance in the account. They said they had knocked at every door since then but their voice had been suppressed.

They said the hapless employees had been deprived of their life savings. They said they had informed the president through a fax massage about their predicament.