Rallies mark World Labour Day

Call to set minimum wage at Rs25,000 per month

LAHORE: Labour Day was observed across the globe, including Lahore, to express solidarity with labourers and workers here on Monday. Labourers and workers took out rallies. Trade unionists, lawyers, intellectuals, labourers, workers, students and kiln workers participated.

The workers were chanting slogans against capitalists and governments. According to them, rulers, opposition, and capitalists all are directly responsible for the labourers’ exploitation.

Farooq Tariq, spokesman for Awami Workers Party demanded that minimum Rs25,000 per month wage be given to workers. He condemned a ban on May Day rallies across Punjab. “The PML-N, PTI and PPP are free to hold public meetings but workers have been asked not to take out rallies,” he alleged. He demanded minimum wage of Rs30,000 monthly and lifting of ban on trade unions in several public sector institutions, including hospitals and education institutions.

Maqsood Mujahid said 1.5 billion people are living below poverty line while system can provide them better living style. Adam Paul of Red Workers Front demanded the state to revise right of unionisation. He linked terrorism to poverty and unemployment.

Alienation of state towards people provided space to the extremism that is why youths tilted towards extremism. Ayma Mahmood of All Pakistan Trade Union Federation said workers were leading miserable lives and state was not providing them their basic rights.

According to Pakistan Workers Confederation, child labour must be ended from country. Social security card must be provided to the workers by the state. All Pakistan Nadra Employees paid tribute to the martyred labourers of Chicago.

They demanded restoration of terminated employees. Rubeena Jamil of All Pakistan Trade Union Federation said denationalisation of the institutions would no more be accepted. She said that daily wagers and contract workers be regularised and pension be increased.

The labourer leaders rejected the announcement increasing the minimum wages by Rs1,000 to Rs15,000, by the labour minister in a Labour Day ceremony at Aiwan Iqbal on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, All Pakistan Workers Confederation general secretary Khurshid Ahmad said that workers  demand a living wage and better health and safety measures. “We have not forgotten the martyrs of Chicago who laid their lives for eight hours a day work”. We will remember them despite the ban by imposed by the government on the rallies, he added.

Earlier, different labour unions took out a rally from Garhi Shahu to join the main rally at Shimla Pahari. Hundreds of woman workers from informal sector joined this rally.The participants of a Labour Day event held at Aiwan-e-Iqbal expressed disappointment when it was disclosed that most of the labour leaders who were invited for the event had left the venue as soon as they heard that the chief minister was not coming.

Khalid Mahmood of Labour Education Foundation said sanctioned posts must be filled on permanent basis. All the workers should be given appointment letters, he demanded. Moreover, marriage grant be increased to Rs300,000, health and safety laws be formed according to ILO Convention.

Bonded Labour Liberation Front organised a rally of kiln workers. Addressing the rally, Syeda Ghulam Fatima said in 21st century civilised nations are talking about the rights of the caged animals while rulers have legalised slavery on the pretext of Prohibition of Child Labour Act 2016. Kiln workers are vulnerable to worst forms of slavery. She demanded for a legal framework to implement international policy on human rights standards in the country in the context of “Decent Work Agenda of ILO” duly signed by GoP.

Mahar Safdar Ali said the wage of kiln workers is not calculated per their work. Therefore, notified wage is firstly too low to meet both ends. In addition to this, even this too low wage is not fully paid and kiln owners are earning Rs4,300 million per year by deducting wage of ignorant workers under the pretext of never ending debts. He demanded for the living wage in the kiln industry. He also demanded to stop terrorism against kiln workers in District Kasur.

An intellectual and workers leader Syed Muhammad Nisar Safdar said democratic culture demands that all marginalised communities should be provided open platform to protect their rights. Labour union strengthens democracy. Failure of labour union is failure of democracy, he concluded.