LAHORE – Like other parts of the globe, International Labour Day was observed across the country including the City on Tuesday to commemorate the historic struggle of Chicago labourers and to renew pledge for protecting rights of workers.
The federal government has fixed the minimum wages of workers at Rs 7,000 per month but unfortunately they are forced to work at far less salary. The private sector is exploiting workers and paying far less wages, in stark violation of the government directions. Indifference and lack of interest on the part of government functionaries is allowing the influential to force the labourers to work in pathetic conditions and at low wages.
Like the previous years, government departments, trade unions and social organizations carryout routine exercise of arranging workshops, seminars, conferences, discussions, besides holding rallies and walks to mark the event. Bonded Labour Liberation Front (BLLF) organised a seminar titled “Implementation on Labour Laws” here at Mehfil Hall.
Speaking on the occasion, Speaker Punjab Assembly Rana Muhammad Iqbal said the government would ensure provision of all legitimate rights to the workers besides eliminating the bonded labour. He said the government planned to launch an effective drive to eliminate the bonded labour in collaboration with the workers’ representatives, government officials, labour organisations and civil society activists.
Punjab Labour Minister Haji Ehsaanuddin Qureshi said his department was in the process of devising an effective policy to implement labour laws which envisage social security for labourers and provision of education, health and other facilities to the workers. He said the department had been advised to immediately take action against forced labour being practiced bricks kilns, industrial units and other workplaces of the province. The minister warned the industrial units and brick kiln owners to stop their practice of pressing workers’ voice and give them their due rights without any discrimination.
Later, a number of brick kiln workers under aegis of the BLLF took out a rally at Abbott Road. Led by BLLF secretary general Syeda Ghulam Fatima and other office bearers, the rally passed through various city roads including Press Club Road (Shimla Hill) and reached at Chairing Cross (The Mall) outside the Punjab Assembly building. Holding placards and banners, the workers chanted slogans for their rights, demanding the government eliminate forced labour and payment of advance money to brick kiln workers.
Peoples Labour Bureau (PLB), an allied wing of the PPP, took out a rally in connection with May Day. Different office bearers of PLB including Saleem Mughal Syed Khalid Bokhari and Malik Ehtasham led the rally which started from Lahore Railway Station and culminated at Shimla Hill. The PPP’s Lahore President and Federal Minister Samina Khalid Ghurki and other parliamentarian also joined the procession in expression of solidarity with the labourers.
Pakistan Workers Confederation (PWC) held a rally from Bukhtiar Labour Hall that culminated at GPO Chowk where labour leaders addressed a huge gathering. Small processions of various organizations joined the main rally at different points, making huge gathering at GPO Chowk. All Pakistan Trade Union Federation took out a procession from Hamdard Centre that joined main rally of PWC. The participants led by Fazal Wahad, Rubina Jamil and others chanted slogans in favour of their demands of minimum wages equal to the price of one tola gold and spending workers welfare fund on uplift of labourers and measures to end energy crises.
National Trade Union Federation Pakistan held a rally from Shimla Hill to Punjab Assembly. The participants demanded minimum wages of Rs 20000 per month for labourers, restoration of terminated NADRA and PTCL employees and resolution of problems of paramedics.