PESHAWAR, May 24: Workers of the Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) on Wednesday began a three-day hunger-strike at a camp in front of the Peshawar Press Club to press for the fulfillment of their demands.

Provincial leaders of the Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric central labour union Haji Abdul Latif, secretary Gohar Taj, deputy chairman Mohammad Iqbal, Mustajab Mazdoor Yar, Gohar Ali Gohar, Iftikhar Ahmad Khalil, Mohammad Saeed, Pir Qahirullah, Sahibzada Abdul Qayum and Badi-uz-Zaman attended the hunger-strike camp on the first day.

Briefing newsmen about their protest campaign, union leaders said that workers of Pesco had no job security for long.

They said that they were struggling for their genuine demands, including off-day wages, transport allowance, daily allowance, delay in recruitment despite restoration of employees sons’ quota, upgrading work of side clerks and the irresponsible attitude of Pesco officials towards labourers.

They also called upon the government to scrap the Anti-Labour Ordinance 2000 and IRO 2002.

They said that they were struggling for promotion of company workers and their genuine demands, adding that however the authorities concerned did not bother to resolve their problems.

They said that the apathy of the authorities concerned had compelled them to stage a three-day hunger strike.

They said that if their demands were not accepted then they would be forced to start a protest movement and Pesco officials would be responsible for the consequences.

The participants of the camp strongly condemned the killing of two Wapda workers at Tank division and demanded of the company to pay Rs500,000 as compensation to the heirs of each victim and provide jobs to their sons or brothers.

They also demanded payment of salaries to the heirs of the victims forever and make arrangements for providing their children free education.