HYDERABAD, March 6 The general council of the All Pakistan Trade Unions Organisation (APTUO) has demanded that the minimum wages of the workers should be fixed equal to the price of one tola of gold, the announcement by the prime minister about minimum wages of Rs6,000 per month should be implemented in letter and spirit and the labour department should be directed to enforce the labour laws.

It demanded that all the organisations should be allowed to form labour unions as per the announcement of the premier and contract as well as daily wage system should be abolished.

The meeting of the general council was presided over by Mr Maula Bux Khaskheli at which veteran labour leader Habibuddin Junedi was elected as chairman, Mohammad Yaqoob vice chairman, Maula Bux Khaskheli president, Malik Lala Khan, senior vice president and Mr Basheer Ahmed secretary general. Besides, the elections of other office-bearers, a 13-member executive committee of Sindh committee was also elected with Mr Imam Bux Baloch as chairman, Sher Nawab as president and Ghulam Mustafa Sario as general secretary.

The council expressed grave concern over the sky rocketing prices of consumer goods, massive lawlessness, rampant unemployment and insecurity.

The council demanded that the prices of edible items, petrol, diesel, electricity and gas should be curtailed, clause B-17 of Banking Ordinance and removal from services ordinance should be repealed forthwith.

It urged the government to sever all relations with the World Bank and IMF, introduce unemployment allowance and remove conditions for marriage grant from the Workers Welfare Board.

It said that the workers should not be forced to work for more than eight hours a day, American bombardment in the northern areas should be brought to an end and the affected people should be compensated. It called upon the government to recover all the bank loans from the capitalists and politicians and ensure the implementation of EOBI laws.

POLLUTION Sindh Agriculture University Vice-Chancellor Dr Abdul Qadir Mughal has said that the entire world, including Pakistan, has fallen pray to environmental pollution and warned that if the deforestation in Sindh which had attained alarming proportions, is not stopped, only 20 per cent of forest will remain in existence within the next 25 years.

He was speaking at a tree plantation ceremony in the children park at the employees residential colony Tandojam on Friday.

He said that due to tremendous increase in the population in Sindh province, environmental pollution had also alarmingly increased specially due to the smoke emitting vehicles. It is of paramount importance that this pollution should be checked, he said.

He said that due to the disposal of poisonous water of factories, the subterranean water has also become poisonous increasing water logging and salinity.

He said that while the standing trees were being cut no new trees were being planted. He said if the situation remained unchanged, the people will experience serious environmental pollution.

Pro-vice chancellor Nizamuddin Halepoto, Registrar, Hafizullah Memon, President of the Employees Association, Hussain Bux Veesar and others also spoke on the occasion.