ISLAMABAD, Sept 7: The Pakistan Workers Federation (PWF) has called upon the government to introduce far-reaching economic and social reforms to tackle increasing unemployment and skyrocketing prices of essential commodities, besides abridging the widening gap between the rich and the poor. The demand was made in the PWF’s national conference held to mark the merger of three national trade union centres — APFOL, APFTU and PNFTU.

The conference was attended by hundreds of members representing more than 0.8 million organized workers in the country.

It called for abolition of feudal system and increase in wages of workers to meet day-to-day expenses as survival was becoming difficult with the unprecedented price hikes.

The PWF demanded that the minimum wages be fixed at Rs6,000 per month.

They also sought amendments to the out-dated labour laws including Industrial Relations Ordinance 2002, Banking Companies Ordinance, President (Special Power for Removal of Service) 2000 to bring these in conformity with International Labour Laws (ILO) Convention ratified by the Pakistan government. They also called for enforcing labour laws including the 7th Wage Board Award.