Labourers demand raise in salaries, change in labour laws

Labour Day rallies, seminars in Punjab

Apca activists demand 50pc pay raise in budget

MULTAN: A number of rallies were taken out to mark the Labour Day here on Monday. Activists of the National Labour Alliance staged a demonstration in front of the Agriculture Engineering Directorate and demanded increase in salaries and induction of labour representatives as judge in the labour courts. Speaking on the occasion,

NLA chairman Ghazi Ahmad Hassan Khokhar said that the government was not serious in giving rights to the workers while the institutions were exploiting them financially. He said that the workers bodies were banned in private factories. The capitalists had deprived the workers of their basic rights, including union activities, social security and right to strike, he added.

Activists of All Pakistan Clerks Association under the leadership of Apca secretary general Chaudhry Khalid Javed staged a demonstration at Chowk Nawan Sheher and demanded raise in salaries, revision of pay scales and equal opportunities to all employees without any discrimination. The lady health workers under the leadership its president Rukhsana also joined the Apca protest.

Speaking on the occasion, the Apca secretary general demanded 50 per cent raise in salaries in the budget. He criticised the government for not providing relief to the employees. The government had not even regularised contract employees, he added. The privatisation of government departments would be tantamount to the financial murder of Class-IV employees, he added.

The Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign organised a seminar at a guesthouse where different workers bodies and trade unions took part. Speaking on the occasion, the workers said that the ruling class  had proved that it was their main enemy. In Pakistan, there was no legal and constitutional right for the working class, they added.

People’s Labour Bureau president Malik Bashir, while addressing a rally, said that said there were 55 million labourers in the country. Of them, 80 per cent were male and 20 per cent were female, he added. He said that more than 50 per cent workforce earned less than two dollars daily, he said, adding that the ILO charter was being violated with the connivance of the rulers.

The workers, include Shamim Ara, Zohran Bibi, Perveen, Bashiran, Rashida, Irshad Mai, Irshad Bibi, Safia and Hameedan, said that they were facing sexual harassment, insecurity and threats at their workplaces. They were drawing Rs 5,000 to Rs 7,000 per month against 12 hours service instead of Rs 12,000 minimum wage fixed by the Punjab government, they added.

South Punjab Progressive Writers president Syed Irfan Haider Shamsi, in a meeting, said that the district administration had banned the Labour Day activities in the name of security.

Activists of All Pakistan Federation of Mazdoor Union organised a big rally with collaboration of the MDA, Wasa and other trade unions. The Pakistan Trade Union Defence Committee, Communist Party, Mehnatkash Rabita Committee, Railway Sampars Union, Paramedical Staff Union, National Textile Leather Garments General Workers Federation, Red Workers Front, United Workers Movement and All Pakistan Commercial Staff Union also organised rallies to press the government to accept their demands.

APP adds: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan said the government would resolve issues of labourers. Addressing a Labour Day ceremony at the residence of Haji Qasim Bosan, he said that the PML-N government had honoured its promise by fixing minimum wage of a labourer at Rs 15,000. He said that progress and prosperity of labourers was the prosperity of the country.

SIALKOT: The Labour Day was observed here on Monday.

A number of seminars, conventions, rallies and other functions were held in this regard. Addressing a labourers convention under the auspices of the National Labour Federation (NLF), former MPA Arshad Mehmood Baggu advocate, Malik Muhammad Waris, Jamat-e-Islami district ameer Dr Shakeel Thakur advocate, Khawaja Mateen and others criticised the rulers for not being serious and sincere in solving the problems of the labourers. They said that the labourers and workers had already been suffering from a host of problems, which had been further aggravated due to continuous price hike and no reciprocal increase in income. They demanded the government fix minimum wage at Rs 25,000 per month. They also demanded new labour laws in place of the outdated ones. They further demanded ownership rights for the laborers residing in the labour colonies.

Meanwhile, addressing another convention, Punjab Minister for Local Bodies and Community Development Manshaullah Butt said that the labourers were an important and great community, who had a key role in the progress of the country. He said that welfare of the labourers was the priority of the Punjab government and all resources were being utilised in this regard.

GUJRANWALA: Like other parts of the country, the Labour Day was observed here to pay tributes to those, who had laid down their lives for the rights of workers in Chicago.

A rally led by labour leaders Mian Attaur Rehman and Naseeruddin Humayun was taken out from Sheranwala Bagh to Gondlanwala Chowk. Addressing the rally, the labour leaders pledged to continue their struggle for the cause of the workers. They urged the government to accept their demands, including increase in wages.

Meanwhile, a group of traffic wardens under the leadership of Zaheer Commando distributed flowers and their one-day salary among the workers while PPP leader Sagheer Butt distributed lunch boxes among the workers to express solidarity with them.

PAKPATTAN: Labourers of different markets took out a rally from grain market up to Nagina Chowk and raised slogans for their rights.

The rally was held to mark the World Labour Day. The participants were holding banners and placards. They raised slogans for a raise in their salaries and other facilities.

NANKANA SAHIB: The Pakistan People’s Party leaders and workers observed the International Labour Day by holding a ceremony at Green Market on Monday.

Addressing the ceremony, PPP divisional president Rai Shah Jahan Bhatti said the party leaders had sacrificed their lives for the people.

He said the PPP had the credit of observing the Labour Day first in 1972. Bhatti said the party initiated many beneficiary schemes, including Benazir Income Support Programme for the masses.

He said the party condemns privatization of institutions. District president Syed Ibrar Hussain Shah, secretary general Rana Ali Asghar and others also spoke.

TOBA TEK SINGH: The workers of Awami Workers Party (AWP) took out a May Day rally from Gallah Mandi to Shahbaz Chowk despite police restrictions on rallies.

Reportedly, police authorities have asked the rally organisers not to take out rallies in view of security situation. However, the activists of AWP decided to go ahead as planned and power loom workers under the banner of Textile and Power looms workers union took out a rally from Waryam Road under the leadership of Nadeem Ashraf Jogi and joined the AWP rally at grain market.

Addressing the participants, AWP Toba Tek Singh president Chaudhry Muhammad Zubair accused the local labour department of not implementing the labour laws in the district.

He said issue of minimum wage and social security cards were not resolved. Zubair also accused the district administration of ignoring rise of religious fundamentalism and activities of drug peddlers.

He criticized a local lawmaker for not completing safe water project. Jogi said power loom workers were in need of proper health and safety measures and minimum wage of a worker should be Rs 28,000 per month. Rana Abdul Rehman, Muhammad Aslam and others also spoke.

KASUR: Different labour organisations took out rallies to pay tributes to the martyrs of Chicago here. The rallies were taken out from Baldia Chowk and Shahbaz Road and culminated on Bulleh Shah Road and Circular Road. The participants were chanting slogans against loadshedding and in favour of their demands.

HAFIZABAD: Different labour unions and political workers took out rallies to observe the Labour Day here. Activists of the Powerloom Workers Union led by Muhammad Zaman Ansari took out a rally from Mian Da Kot. They demanded increase in wages.

Another rally was taken out by the MC workers, which was led by Ishaq Khokhar and Apca president Nasrullah Hinjra. The participants demanded issuance of social security cards to the workers and substantial increase in their wages.

The brick kiln workers led by their president Ghulam Abbas and the Jamaat-e-Islami Youth Rickshaw Union led by Muhammad Humayun also took out rallies to press their demands. Meanwhile, the PPP workers also took a rally. It was led by PPP district president Malik Muhammad Wazir and Dr Nazar Muhammad.

FAISALABAD: Like other parts of the country, different organisations took out rallies and arranged functions to mark the Labour Day here.

The participants of the rallies were chanting slogans for increase in wages. They were also carrying placards and banners. They demanded changes in the labour law to provide them relief. The powerloom workers demanded the government take steps to end the loadshedding. They said that the loadshedding was affecting their routine activities of life.