PESHAWAR, June 3: The All Pakistan Class-IV Employees Association, NWFP, has criticised the federal government for leaving the question of salary increase to the provinces and proposing a 15 per cent raise in the next budget.

A meeting of the association held here on Sunday expressed concern over the price hike, particularly of petroleum products and food stuff. The meeting was presided over by association president Afsar Khan.

A press release issued after the meeting said that the low rank employees were expecting about 60 per cent increase in their salaries in the next budget.

Criticising the NWFP government, the press release said that jobs of about 16,000 fixed wage employees had not been regularised.

It was decided in the meeting that the families of the fixed wage employees would support only that political party in the next general elections which would promise the abolition of contract policy.

The press release said the meeting had decided that Class-IV employees would organise a hunger strike camp in front of the executive district officer, Peshawar on June 7. Association’s organisers from different districts would participate in the camp, it added.

It said that the employees would hold protest meeting at the Government Higher Secondary School No. 1 Peshawar on June 14. Low grade employees from across the province would participate in the meeting and hold a protest demonstration in front of the NWFP Assembly.