HYDERABAD, Feb 16: The executive committee of the Sindh chapter of the National Labour Federation, at a meeting held here on Wednesday, expressed concern over a delay in implementation of the president's announcement at the Workers-Employers Bilateral Council of Pakistan convention in Islamabad on December 27 about amendments to the Industrial Relations Ordinance 2002 and fixation of minimum wages and pension.

The provincial president of the federation, Rana Mehmood Ali Khan, presided over the meeting which observed that President Gen Pervez Musharraf had publicly announced that the IRO-2002 would be amended and minimum wages and pension fixed at Rs3,000 and Rs1,000, respectively. However, it regretted that no law had been enacted till date to implement the announcement.

The meeting noted that inordinate increase in the prices of consumer goods and utilities had made lives of the working class, salaried people and common man miserable.

It condemned privatization policy of the government, specially the privatization of the KESC and Karachi Shipyard, and urged the government not to privatize national enterprises.

The meeting also condemned corruption in the social security institution in Sindh and demanded a thorough investigation intoexclusion of a large number of workers from the old-age benefit cover and inordinate delay in disbursement of pensions.