International Labour Day: Labour Day meeting calls for fulfilling labourers’ demands

LAHORE: To mark international Labour Day 2020, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Syeda Ghulam Fatima, general secretary Bonded Labour Liberation Front Pakistan, to discuss key issues and current situation of formal and informal sector workers in Covid-19 scenario.

Moreover, the meeting honoured and attended by Martha Parveen, president of Bonded Labor Liberation Front Pakistan, Syed Ayaz Hussain, advocate and coordinator, Naik Muhammad, advocate Lahore High Court, Muhammad Shahbaz, programme officer BLLF, Nusrat Bibi, president brick kiln workers union district Sheikhupura, Younas Maseeh, representatives of Pattoki.

The members of the meeting demanded the government take notice against violation of lockdown at brick-kiln and must take appropriate measures to ensure safety of workers from Covid-19; include brick-kiln workers in Ehsaas Programme for financial support to marginalised workers of brick-kiln sector launched by government in context of Covid-19. They also demanded the government ensure compliance of minimum wages notification at brick kiln issued by Punjab Gazette board in 2019, register kiln workers and informal sector workers in all welfare schemes launched by the government. In the context of Covid-19, the government should adopt tripartite approach and develop SOPs with the consultation of ILO and WHO for safety of workers at the workplace. The government should pay risk allowance to paramedical staff and sanitary workers as they are serving frontline defenders. Due to Covid-19, private sector workers are being fired and not paid and the government should take notice and ensure respect for their labour rights.