Movement for the rights of the labour is intrinsically rooted in the trade unionism. It sprouted as a consequence of the industrial revolution.
The movement engrossed to force the otherwise self-serving and buccaneer industrialists to rectify the rigorous working conditions those were analogous to sheer exploitation of the working class. In 1886, the workers started eight hours work-routine of 54 hours per week pro-actively in Chicago, USA.
The plausible basis of their demand was like this. ‘Eight hours work, eight hours recreation and eight hours rest’. They had launched an arduous campaign for the acceptance of their demands in the face of the tyrannical practices of industrial class of building its fortune on the toil and sweat of the labour class without the considerations of social justice.
However, the sustenance of the movement at last forced the US Congress to cave in, and it recognised the May Day as the Labour Day. The movement also spread across the world and it has now attained currency throughout the world and the Labour Day is observed as such.
In Pakistan, the Day is observed on the 1st of May to reiterate the nation’s commitment and solidarity with the labour class so far as their rights and dignity is concerned. Pakistan became the member of the International Labour Organization (ILO) soon after independence that safeguarded and promoted the rights of the labour throughout the world. The ILO has 187 state members suggesting how much importance the member states attach to the labour and their welfare notwithstanding many of them take solace in playing to the gallery. However, the forum of (ILO) is effective as it is not easy for the governments not to give serious considerations to the recommendations devoted to improve the lot of the working class. The respective governments cannot afford to be too hostile towards labour because of the imperatives of image of the country that is important for the furtherance of diplomatic and geo-economic interests. The ILO assessment about the condition of the labour and labour laws can hurt the delinquent countries in more than one ways. In this regard, ILO’s contributions to check child and bonded labour are commendable to an extent.
In Pakistan, though the country became the member of (ILO) soon after the independence but the successive governments did not pay heed to the welfare of the labour class because of political instability in the country, and the trade union activities were also insignificant. But, after the first martial law the so-called an era of political stability that ushered in followed the discourse of “Economic development for Economic development sake”. General Ayub Khan’s Planning and Economic Development strategy was strictly growth-oriented and not labour welfare oriented at all. The result was the appalling concentration of wealth among the twenty two notorious families at the expense of the down trodden. General’s development strategy nosedived after his ‘decade of development’ saga because it was utterly devoid of the narrative of social justice. His development model was short lived and could not deliver development on sustainable basis, the essence of integrated development in the real sense. The wide spread protest in the country led to the general’s ouster because the have-nots were suffering from the acute impoverishment causing frustration and anger against the then government. The elite could not save the general because it had its pound of flesh -- the principal consideration — and thereafter jumped out of the ship without an iota of compunction.
Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was the first head of the state/government who promulgated labour reforms for the first time in 1972 while declaring 1st of May as public holiday. The policy stipulated far-reaching welfare steps for the labour class in the form of Social Security Mechanism, Old Age Benefits, Workers Welfare Fund and stakeholders in the state enterprises. These were unprecedented steps by any measure by the government of the PPP’s founding father underscoring the indispensability of the working class in the developing economy. It deserved fair deal out of the fruits of the development. No other leader earlier had thought of the level of recognition of their meritorious services for the uplift of the economy. PPP manifesto followed by its policies were the physical manifestation of the commitment of the leadership to improve the quality of life of labour class. Meaning thereby, if labour was satisfied their productivity would increase leading to win win situation for the labour and the entrepreneurship. This linkage was not understood by myopic entrepreneurs of that time. Frustrated labour could not deliver if their stakes were put in the periphery at the altar of the greed and avarice of the industrialists. To rectify the tendency of rapaciousness of industrialists the reforms of 1972 contained the concept of “Collective Bargaining” as well that would facilitate equitable agreement without compromising the vital interests of the industrial units and the dignity of the labour.
It was also the distinction of the PPP successive governments that they raised the minimum wages to the respectable level keeping in view the inflationary trends during the period, and also ensuring decent conditions of life for the working class so that their families could transform the dream of upward social mobility into reality. The PPP governments also considerably increased the compensation for the workers who lose their lives on the line of duty or lose limb or get injured. The PPP governments also enhanced the marriage allowance to the daughters of the workers which was earlier dedicated for one daughter only but later on this bar was lifted to mitigate their worries.
PPP is the name of the movement for the realisation of the rights of the less privileged segments of the society. The movement will continue till the fullest realisation of the rights so that the less privileged lead their lives in an enabling environment to pursue their dreams to excel in life through hard work. Their empowerment was critical to give them necessary confidence to struggle for better future. The PPP empowered the poor of the country when Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto promulgated the law of ‘one man one vote’ to elect lawmakers. This landmark legislation brought out the politics from the drawing rooms of the elite to the door steps of the poor masses. Now, the candidates seeking elections of Parliament or provincial assemblies had to go after the common people seeking their support with humility. The days of their support as taken for granted or inconsequential had gone forever.
PPP has always been labour friendly. The welfare of the children of lesser gods has always been the corner stone of its unabated struggle in the face of ferocious vested interests. Its impeccable credentials in this regard spoke louder than words. The PPP government led by former prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani lifted ban on trade union activities imposed by General Musharraf. The same government of the PPP reinstated/ regularised forty thousand industrial workers sacked by the same dictatorial regime. The government of PPP increased the labour wages twice. Workers were awarded share in the incomes in the enterprises they had been working in. The PPP governments established labour residential colonies in every industrial city of the country in order to provide them decent living conditions. The right of pension to the labour after their retirement was also the distinction of the PPP government in favour of working class. It may be mentioned here that the PPP protected the forty thousand industrial workers from being terminated by the incumbent government. The PPP handed out categorical threat to the government to take extreme steps if the government deprived the poor from their jobs. The government did not pursue the matter after the PPP declared unequivocally that the issue was non-negotiable.
It can be said without the grain of apprehension of contradiction that PPP had done much more for the overall uplift of the working class than what other governments did in this domain collectively.
Still, there is a lot of ground that has to be covered to bring the labour at the respectable level in the social set-up. The bitter reality is that labour is still suffering from multiple predicaments like poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and acute problem of residential accommodation. Job security and unemployment are big worries because they have nothing to fall back upon. A sizeable majority of labour class remains out of the ambit of labour laws which means workers have no paid holidays, no job security, no medical facilities, no pension or provident fund, no bonus and no payment for over time. The alarming rate of suicide and the killing of their own children by mothers and fathers clearly indicate that the state of affairs is at the brink of catastrophe where sanctity of life loses relevance.
Our head hang in shame as a nation as child labour is so common in the urban centers, and the mandarins have shamefully turned their blind eye. The evil is not showing any sign of being addressed thoroughly and comprehensively. The media does report the child abuses and their exploitation as domestic servants. But the wide spread culture of impunity and illegality hardly jolts the conscience of the society, state and the people to make the difference.
This May Day should be the Day of reiteration to continue to work for the rights of the labour across the board to bring them at par with the accepted standards of decent living in terms of social security and provision of quality education, health, drinking water and civic amenities. Above all, guarantee of fundamental rights as stipulated in the Constitution of Pakistan.
muhammadshaheedi@yahoo.com
Head of PPP Media Cell
