May Day rallies, protests

LAHORE
The International Labour Day was marked with massive rallies, protest demonstrations, and seminars organised by the trade unions and workers confederations. The rallies were attended by hundreds of workers in the provincial metropolis on Friday with workers demanding increase of minimum wage to 25,000 rupees, empowerment of labour courts under the Punjab Industrial Relations Act (PIRA), social security benefits to informal sector workers, and an end to privatisation of the national utilities.
Demanding an end to forced labour, increase in workers’ wages, and protection of their other rights according to the ILO conventions, the All Pakistan Trade Union Federation (APTUF) marked the May Day across the country including in the city on Friday.
Led by APTUF leaders Sultan Khan, Aima Mahmood, Fazal Wahid, and others, the federation staged the main rally from the Hamdard Hall to Faisal Chowk, The Mall. Various unions affiliated with the federation, including Working Women Organisation, and a big number of workers of private and government sectors participated in the rally. Holding placards, banners, and red flags, the labourers paid tribute to the Chicago workers who sacrificed their lives for the protection of workers’ right.
Addressing the labourers rally in front of the Punjab Assembly, APTUF General Secretary and Working Women Organisation Aima Mahmood said that 73 percent labour force in the informal sector had been deprived of the basic rights which exposed the government’s claim regarding the protection of workers’ rights. She said the working class in Pakistan was still facing the same issues for those Chicago workers who sacrificed their lives. She added the labourers in the country needed to wage the same sacrifices for getting their rights. The situation of women workers was even worse in the country, she said.
Aima held that only five percent of workers were organized under trade unions in Pakistan and the women’s number was only one percent. The union leader questioned that how could a society become developed where females faced social and economic injustices. She maintained the labour movement could not achieve success without participation of women.
Sultan Khan, addressing on the occasion, highlighted the issues facing the labour community at large. He stressed the need for unity among trade unions by rising above personal interests. He announced the resistance to the proposed privatisation policy of the government at every level.
The APTUF demanded Rs. 25,000 per month minimum salary for a labourer and asked the government to introduce worker-friendly policies instead of running every department on the direction of international lending agencies.
Meanwhile, the All Pakistan Workers Confederation staged a large rally attended by workers from Wapda, Railways, textile, and agricultural sectors outside Al-Hamra, The Mall. The workers hailed from Quetta, Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Rahimyar Khan, Multan, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Mardan, and Peshawar. The unions present included All Pakistan Trade Unions Federation, National Trade Union Federation, All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union (CBA), Railways Workers Union (CBA), Pakistan Telecommunication Employees Union (CBA), Bata Mazdoor League, Irrigation Labour Federation, All Pakistan PWD Workers Union, All Pakistan Transport Workers Federation, National Bank of Pakistan Trade Unions Federation, and Bhatta Mazoor Union.
The workers carried banners and chanted slogans against the proposed privatisation of electricity and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) at the behest of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). The rally was addressed by General Secretary of All Pakistan Wapda Workers Union Khurshid Ahmed, President Pakistan Workers Confederation Rubina Jameel, Chairman Yousaf Baloch, and trade union representatives.
Speaking on the occasion, Ahmed expressed great concern over the aggravating economic and social sufferings of the working class allowing rich to be richer and poor to be poorer. Instead of introducing the progressive economic reforms, he stated that the country had been mortgaged into the clutches of the IMF and World Bank while US 200 billion dollars of the capitalists and feudal lords, and some politicians were still deposited into the Swiss banks, while migrant Pakistani workers were sending remittances of more than US 18 billion dollars to the national exchequer every year.
He declared that the Founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam and Dr. Allama Iqbal had committed themselves to establishing an egalitarian society and Quaid-e-Azam himself declared that the national public utilities, including electricity, railways, oil, and gas, would be maintained in the public sector for the welfare of the citizens. He warned the government that the working class would not remain as a silent spectator in the face of exploitation.
The house by a resolution urged the government to introduce far-reaching economic, and social reforms and amend the outdated labour laws in conformity with the ILO conventions and hold a meaningful dialogue with the trade unions representatives, raise the minimum wages to at least Rs.20,000 and pay and salaries, and pension in the next budget by 50 percent to 10,000 rupees.
Expressing concerns at the condition of the bonded labourers employed in brick-kilns, speakers, including President of National Party Senator Hasil Bizenjo at a seminar and rally organised by the Labour Liberation Front (BLLF), demanded strict implementation of eight core ILO conventions ratified by the government of Pakistan in acknowledgement of which it was granted the coveted GSP Plus status.
Several brick-kiln labourers from Kasur and outskirts of Lahore attended the rally and complained of being paid only 400 rupees per 1000 bricks against the government stipulated minimum of 742 rupees per 1000 bricks. Talking to The News, female brick-kiln workers said sexual harassment was rampant and owners of kilns threatened them with torture and death. A significant number of workers complained that the owners had stopped them from travelling to the city for May Day rallies.
The rally was also attended by the Lady Health Workers who complained to The News of not being regularised and paid the minimum wage of 12,000 rupees despite orders from the Supreme Court of Pakistan to all four provincial governments. The Lady Health Workers also attended a rally organised by the Progressive Labour Federation Pakistan from the Lahore Press Club to Charring Cross along with the textile workers, TDCP, PTCL workers, and female home-based workers. They later joined the first Labour Assembly of Punjab held at a local hotel attended by politicians Dr. Jahangir Bader, Khawaja Salman Rafique, and singer Jawwad Ahmed.
Talking to The News, Chairman of Pakistan National Trade Union Federation Yousaf Baloch said the government must implement all the ratified 32 ILO conventions, honour existing labour laws, restoration of labour inspection in all the industrial units, providing all the workers with the right to organise trade unions, and increasing the wage to 25,000 rupees for a worker due to increasing inflation. Shaheena Kausar, Director of Women Workers Union, criticised the government for not preparing a labour policy taking all the stakeholders on board. Political parties also staged rallies whereas Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf and Pakistan Peoples Party expressed solidarity with workers and martyrs of the Chicago fire. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) held a grand rally in Al-Hamra attended by acting Governor of Gilgit-Baltistan Chaudhry Barjees Tahir, and Labour Minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar voicing the accomplishments of the government for labourers since coming into power.