The true gems of our society

On the 1st of May, countries around the world commemorate Labour Day, a day dedicated to honouring the contributions and struggles of the labour force. It aims to encourage the working class to be conscious of their rights.

The origin of Labour Day, a holiday celebrating working people, has its roots in industrialisation. In the 1800s, hundreds of thousands of people moved to Chicago to work in the booming factories, stockyards and shipping centers. These workers soon demanded more from their bosses than paltry wages. They formed labour unions, pushing for higher wages and better working conditions. However, the journey towards recognising and commemorating this day internationally was marked by a tragic incident. On 4th May, 1886, at Haymarket Square in Chicago, United States. a public assembly in support of the strike was dispersed by the police when an unidentified person threw a bomb. This event, known as the Haymarket affair, resulted in the deaths of seven police officers and at least four civilians, with many more injured.

The real issues of the Haymarket Affair were freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to free assembly, the right to a fair trial by a jury of peers and the right of workers to organise and fight for things like the eight-hour day. The Haymarket Affair took on worldwide dimension in July 1889, when a delegate from the American Federation of Labour recommended at a labour conference in Paris that May 1 be set aside as International Labour Day in memory of Haymarket Affair. What started as International Workers’ Day in Chicago in May 1886 further spread to other parts of the world.

Today, International Labour Day is celebrated in more than 80 countries, including Pakistan. People in different parts of the world hold marches on this day to promote the rights of working-class people and to protect them from exploitation.While celebrating the day, it’s crucial to remember the essence of Labour Day and acknowledge the struggles of various sectors of the workforce including polio workers, farmers, and home-based workers, especially women, who tirelessly support the economy and can be considered as the true gems of our society.

Polio warriors: The unsung heroes

While armed forces bravely defend borders and face external threats, there exists another group of warriors fighting a silent battle within our communities - the polio workers. What is remarkable is that the majority of health workers moving from house to house to vaccinate children against this highly infectious paralytic disease are women. These unarmed heroes dedicate themselves to the noble cause of eradicating polio from Pakistan. Despite all odds, these polio workers work in extreme weather conditions to cross ice roads use camel in deserts and mobilise communities during their door-to-door campaigns. They often navigate through stagnant water and sewage, putting themselves at risk of various health hazards. Sadly, they sometimes meet tragic ends at the hands of those opposed to vaccination. Shockingly, more than 200 polio team workers have lost their lives since 1994, including both male and female workers, as well as police and security personnel. Despite their sacrifices, the ground reality is that polio workers often go unrecognised, denied even a state funeral or incentives. It’s high time they receive acknowledgment of their relentless efforts by higher authorities.

In my interactions with polio workers, I had first-hand accounts of their dedication and challenges. Miss Aisha recounted working from dawn till dusk during campaigns, making multiple visits to vaccinate every child in the target area. She shared instances where markers dried up, leading to accusations despite diligent reporting.

Miss Perveen, another polio worker, shared that when the government announced the week of the polio campaign, all departmental supports including security personnel went door-to-door with them to provide a secure environment. However, the trust deficit emerged when, after the campaign, they were forced to revisit the houses of children who were not present during the initial campaign. During these visits, families and parents expressed mistrust, openly sharing concerns that the workers may have ulterior motives or be involved in criminal activities.

Miss Erum, one of the polio workers, shared that her mobile was snatched during the campaign. Despite these challenges, the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme has remained steadfast in its mission to eradicate the polio virus from the country. Various communication tools are utilised to announce the campaign, and influencers are engaged to persuade people to vaccinate their children, which is remarkable. Additionally, the role of the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) for Polio Eradication is crucial in ensuring a polio-free Pakistan. Their strategies, surveillance, and timing effectively control and minimise the polio virus in the country.

Farmers: Stewards of our land

Agriculture stands as the cornerstone of Pakistan’s economy, heavily reliant on its major crops. With arable land and water as principal natural resources, agriculture contributes approximately 18.9 per cent to Pakistan’s GDP (gross domestic product) and employs around 42.3 per cent of the labour force. Remarkably, 65 per cent of the workforce in the agricultural sector comprises women, making it the country’s largest employer, contributing 23 per cent to the nation’s GDP (International Labour Organization).

Farmers aren’t just contributors to the GDP; they are the creative hands that till the land, coaxing grains to grow from the earth. They infuse life into the soil, enabling it to yield sustenance.

However, farmers face formidable challenges, exacerbated by climate change and erratic weather patterns. They grapple with extreme weather conditions and endure the repercussions of climate change, including water scarcity. To safeguard farmers in Pakistan, the government must embark on innovative projects. These include promoting cost-effective agricultural products, encouraging organic farming practices, providing financial support to farmers, organising training sessions on modern techniques, and advocating the adoption of sustainable farming methods.

As stewards of our land, farmers deserve unwavering support and investment to navigate the complexities of modern agriculture and overcome the challenges posed by a changing climate. Their resilience and dedication are vital for ensuring food security and sustainable development in Pakistan.

These are labourers who spend their day and night protecting our children’s health, cultivating crops for us. Let’s respect them and make them happy to show our appreciation and value for their efforts.

Home-based workers: The silent contributors

The informal estimates indicate that there are 20 million home-based workers in the country of which 12 million are women who are engaged in bangle making, stitching, weaving, packing, sorting, cutting, etc. As a workforce, home-based workers have remained largely invisible. Unlike other types of workers, home-based workers do not have access to social security benefits and have long working hours with no operational safety and health standards in their work area. Moreover, they lack access to and knowledge of the market, are lowest in the production chain and suffer exploitation by middlemen.

However, efforts are being made on national and provincial level to safeguard the rights of home-based works. The passing of Home-Based Workers Act 2018 by Sindh Assembly is a phenomenal promising legal rights to social security, employment and old-age benefits to thousands of labourers who work from home.

Home Net Pakistan (HNP) is a network of organisations that has been working for the rights of home-based workers since 2005. HNP believes that women in the informal economy need to be recognised as labourers instead of beig considered as a poor, deserving and insignificant part of the society. They must be considered as producers and artisans. Their productivity has to be increased by imparting skill development training, improved technologies, direct access to credit schemes, effective marketing opportunities of their products and putting them under some trade/labour policy of the country.

“We are actively pursuing passage of home-based worker rights bills through provincial assemblies. We are building up the missing links by adopting the values chain approach for bringing women from bottom to mid-level. Economic empowerment of women and girls needs to be strengthened on the lines of ‘Build back better’ in all sectors, specifically in home-based industry,” shares Ume-Laila Azhar, Executive Director of HNP.

“The gender gap needs to be firmly addressed through empowering women via economic and social resilient livelihoods. Significant gains can be generated through strengthening skill development. Financial and digital platforms should be tailor-made for women in home-based sector,” she stresses.

It’s about time we recognised the contributions of our polio workers, farmers and home-based workers in the smooth running of our economy and giving them their due share of perks and rights.

The writer is a development professional. She can be reached at quratmudasar@gmail.com