HYDERABAD, July 28: Hesco employees, under the banner of the Pakistan Wapda Hydro- Electric Central Labour Union, staged a march from the labour hall, Gari Khata, to the press club here on Wednesday.

They were protesting against price hike, unemployment, lawlessness, Presidential Ordinance, 2000, Industrial Relations Ordinance, 2002, and employers' excesses. The Pakistan Workers' Confederation had given the protest call.

The workers were led by union president Abdul Latif Nizamani, Iqbal Kaimkhani, Mir Khan Baloch and others. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Nizamani said people were forced to commit suicide due to high prices of commodities and unemployment.

He alleged that on personal likes and dislikes, Hesco officials had terminated services of a large number of employees under the Presidential Ordinance, 2000. He said trade union activities had almost been banned under the IRO, 2002.

Mr Nizamani said Wapda authorities should redress grievances of workers, failing which a series of protest demonstrations would be held throughout the country. Our Larkana Correspondent adds: On the call of the Pakistan Workers' Confederation, the Watandost Mazdoor Federation took out a procession from the labour hall.

Led by Aziz Abbasi, the protesters were carrying banners and placards and raising slogans against the IRO, 2002. They marched through main roads of the city and later gathered outside the local press club.

Talking to the gathering, the leaders of the federation said the IRO was aimed at curtailing activities of trade unions. They demanded repeal of the ordinance. They further demanded that labourers should be given representation in social security, old age benefit, workers welfare funds and other such bodies. They also called for just share of water for Sindh and recovery of kidnapped rice trader Santosh Kumar.

PEASANTS: Activists of the Sindhi Hari Tehrik observed a token hunger strike outside the press club here on Wednesday to protest against alleged excesses against Tehrik workers by police.

Talking to journalists, Vishnu Mal, Teerath Das and others said the Nagarparkar police had launched an operation against the workers. They said at least 10 Tehrik workers, implicated in what they called false cases, were languishing in jail.

They alleged that whereabouts of many other activists were not being disclosed by police. They demanded a judicial inquiry into the arrest of the workers.

PASBAN: Pasban activists held a demonstration outside the press club here on Wednesday to express solidarity with people of the country living in Iraq. Speaking on the occasion, Pasban leader Hussain Khan said Pakistanis living in Iraq were feeling insecure. He demanded that steps should be taken to protect their lives and properties.