HYDERABAD, Jan 28: A large number of glass bangle industry workers held a demonstration outside the press club here on Friday to protest against lockout of the factories by their owners.

The protest demonstration was organized by the All Hyderabad Bangle Welding Contract Workers Union, Glass Bangle Workers Union, National Trade Union Pakistan and Labour Party Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion Labour Party leader Ali Hassan Jatoi and the workers' leaders Rehan Yousufzai, Aapa Qamar Zia and others lashed out at the factory owners for closing the factories.

They said that the bangle industry workers were being denied rights provided under the labour laws but the labour department had maintained a criminal silence on the issue.

They demanded that the lockout be declared illegal, the daily wage and contractual employees be given the status of permanent employees, attendance and social security cards be issued to them and they be included in the old age benefit scheme. They announced that if the factories were not reopened, the workers would continue protest demonstrations and observe hunger strike outside the press club.

BASANT: Activists of Pasban and the All Hindu Biradari Action Committee held a demonstration outside the press club to criticize the Basant celebrations under the government patronage in Lahore. Speaking on the occasion, Rashi Thakur said that the Basant festivities in the wake of the tsunami disaster were shameful.