FAISALABAD, April 4: Over a dozen labour organizations have threatened to boycott the proposed referendum regarding Gen Pervez Musharraf’s presidency unless a comprehensive labour policy was announced by May 1.

Speaking at a meeting held on Wednesday night, Malik Muhammad Bux, Aslam Wafa and others regretted that the government had not heeded the demands of labour leaders.

They said scores of families of low-wage workers had reached the verge of hunger but government agencies were still playing the silent spectator.

They said the government should immediately abolish contract employment from industrial units to ensure that the labourers got old age benefits and social security facilities.

The labour leaders also expressed concern over the imposition of sales tax on medicines and the fortnightly revision of petroleum products.

They also said the prices of kitchen items had gone up from 100 to 200 per cent during the last couple of years but the salaries of labourers had not been enhanced proportionately.

They demanded that the government should also reserve seats for labourers in the National and Provincial Assemblies for the forthcoming elections.