HYDERABAD, Aug 12: The Pakistan Workers Confederation (PWC) staged a protest rally from the Haider Chowk to the press club and held a protest meeting in the labour hall here on Monday against skyrocketing prices of consumer goods and services, unemployment, retrenchment of workers and inordinate increase in power and gas tariffs.

The participants carried placards and banners and raised slogans against the government.

Speaking at the protest meeting, PWC president Abdul Latif Nizamani, who is also president of the Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Central Labour Union, said the government had not given anything to the country except price-hike, unemployment and inordinate increase in prices of utilities.

He claimed 40 per cent population of the country was jobless and corruption and robberies were at their peak.

He also deplored the lawlessness in the province.

He said political leaders were oblivious and indifferent to the plight of people.

The PWC leader said employees of local councils had not received their salaries for three months.

He warned if prices of consumer goods were not reduced, the workers would give a call for a strike.