LAHORE, Jan 12: Over 100,000 Wapda workers observed a ‘Demands Day’ on the call of the Pakistan Wapda Hydro-Electric Central Labour Union to press for the acceptance of their demands.

The workers held meetings and organized rallies in different cities and towns to highlight their problems and stress the need for the solution to the same. They also stressed the need for increase in pay and allowances.

The workers appealed to Prime Minister Mir Zafrullah Jamali to intervene and direct Wapda to review its policy of privatization of the highly profitable power distribution companies as the step would result in further increase in already exorbitant electricity rates.

They also called for the restoration of the move-over and selection grade facilities and bringing of the Industrial Relations Ordinance in conformity with the fundamental rights guaranteed in the Constit-ution, International Labour Organization Conventions ratified by the government and the unanimous recommendations of the Tripartite Labour Conference held at Islamabad in 2001.

They demanded the discontinuation of the deduction of special allowance from the salaries of Grade 6 to 16 employees and restoration of the Hardship Allowance of Muzaff-argarh, Guddu, Jamshoro, Kotri, Warsak, Chashma Hydel and Ghazi Barotha Project employees.

The workers also demanded the regularization of the services of all the workcharged and contract employees recruited against permanent posts, promotions of employees on the basis of seniority instead of the tests and restoration of the quota of the children of the employees for jobs.