Migrant workers face unending challenges

Rawalpindi:With a lack of opportunities in their cities and little help from the Government, guest workers dream of a better future in faraway places.

“My city lags in socio-economic terms due to the lack of employment opportunities. I migrated to Rawalpindi for sustenance. I am involved in masonry work. The day I find work I get eight hundred rupees,” says Samsam Hussain.

“Leaving behind my family, I work here to send money home. I endured years of separation, hoping that one day I would be reunited with my loved ones,” says Wardan Ali.“Sometimes, all the family receives is heartbreaking news. One of my friends had been away from his hometown for over 15 years and was working as a mason. He fell from the 3rd floor of a high-rise building. He was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead,” says Behlol Abbas.

“He was the sole breadwinner of his family. His death has plunged their life into darkness. The deceased’s wife says that my husband is gone. What will I do now? What will be the future of our children? His mother is inconsolable. The only property my son owns is this house. He went to Islamabad to earn a living. Now, he has left us,” adds Behlol.

“My two sons and son-in-law went to Rawalpindi for work. They worked there for two months and then, because of the floods were stuck and could not get back. The employer refused to pay full wages,” says Mustafa Kazmi, the father of one of the laborers.

“On 29 January 2020, I went to Islamabad for work, so I could finance my son’s education and daughter’s wedding. There is no work in my home place. That is why I went there for work. Unfortunately, no one pays the minimum wage, provides protection, or offers other benefits for workers,” says Kumail Hussain.

“Workers become largely helpless when they work away from home. There is no one to advocate for them. Even the contracting companies take advantage of their vulnerability in various ways. Migrant workers are vulnerable to exploitation by employers who offer low wages, poor working conditions, and limited job security. If they die on the job, their families do not receive proper compensation,” says Mubashir Hasan.

“Several workers have died in various accidents while working in other cities. Most of the deaths happen due to electrocution, or falling from buildings. People may move from their homes to other cities in search of work, but it must be ensured that they are not subjected to injustice elsewhere. Only then can their deaths be prevented,” says Turab Ali.Hamid Alvi says, “From village to city, city to city, and metropolis, workers are always moving from one place to another. There needs to be a long-term plan for migrant workers.”