HYDERABAD, June 4: The Allied Bank’s association of retired employees appealed to president, prime minister and finance minister for increase in pension in the coming budget. The unprecedented price hike had made it impossible to meet both ends, they implored.

President of the association Akbar Aziz Khan, general secretary Faheem Chishti and others addressing a press conference said the price of essential items had increased manifold during the last seven years while their pensions remained static.

Injustice was being meted out to retired employees of the ABL, they said adding every year some increase in the salaries and pensions of government employees and the employees of semi-government organisations was announced which was never implemented by the ABL administration.

They warned of hunger strike and demonstrations outside the ABL head-office in case their demands were not met.

HYDRO UNION: Central president, Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union, Abdul Latif Nizamani said that more than 100,000 members were ready for referendum to defeat anti-workers forces. He was addressing workers at the Labour Hall, on Monday.

He said an application with the names of 100,000 members had been submitted to the NIRC for referendum. He claimed that it was due to the efforts of Hydro Union that the right to form trade union was restored with the help of the ILO, and by contesting the case in Supreme Court of Pakistan.

He said Wapda’s privatisation process too had been stopped by the CBA’s efforts. He also referred to other achievements of the union such as regularisation of service of 20,000 employees. He expressed the hope that the Hydro Union would win the referendum.

DELIVERANCE DAY: Pakistan Wapda Employees Paigham Union celebrated the day of deliverance at the end of Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union’s tenure as the CBA, on Monday.

Members of Paigham Union staged a demonstration outside the press club to celebrate the occasion.

Regional chairman of the union Khalid Mehmood Khanza, secretary Iqbal Kaimkhani, Anees Ahmed Khan and others accused the CBA union of not doing anything for workers during its tenure. They said it always bargained against the interest of Wapda employees. They said every year, the CBA collected donation of Rs20 million from the workers but did nothing for them.

Paigham Union leaders said Wapda employees were suffering from a sense of insecurity and deprived of basic facilities. They demanded the end to deduction from the salary on different pretexts and repeal of the IRO-2002.

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