LAHORE, July 6: Wapda workers will observe countrywide protest day on July 12 to condemn the arbitrary increase in working hours, privatisation and promulgation of anti-labour laws by the government.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the Pakistan Wapda Hydro-Electric Central Labour Union held here on Thursday with Khurshid Ahmad in the chair.

Union leaders said the government decision to increase the daily working hours from 8 to 12 hours without payment of wages for additional work was immoral and inhuman and would not be accepted by the workers.

They said health and safety laws were being ignored and the industrial establishments had become forced labour camps following the suspension of the inspections for checking implementation of labour laws by the government. The government had now authorised the employers to make the employees put in four hours of work daily without payment of wages. The government was forcing the workers to resort to protest and agitation by its policies. —Reporter