HYDERABAD, Jan 30: Hundreds of municipal employees of Hyderabad, Latifabad and Qasimabad took out a rally here on Wednesday from the municipal office along with over one dozen fire brigade vehicles, trucks and garbage vans in protest against the non-payment of salaries to the employees for Dec 2001.

The rally was led by Akram Rajput, general secretary, CBA union.

The rally after marching on main city roads terminated at the press club.

Speaking on the occasion, the secretary general, Mutahedda Labour Federation, Qamoos Gul Khattak, who is also a central leader of the Pakistan Workers Confederation, said that the struggle of the workers against hunger and poverty would continue till the resolution of their problems.

He warned that if the salaries of the employees for Dec were not paid within one week, the municipal employees would totally boycott the work. The salaries must be paid according to the new pay scale as announced by the government and if the workers were to be paid their salaries according to the old pay scale then the fringe benefits of the old pay scale should also be paid, he demanded.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Rajput said that the workers could not pay their utility bills with penalty as they were not being paid their salaries.

Over one dozen employees of the rival union observed token hunger strike outside the press club here.

They too were protesting against the non-payment of salaries.