QUETTA, May 1: Police detained 50 activists of the All Pakistan Federation of Labour for a few hours on Saturday on charges of violating Section 144 as they took out a procession to mark the Labour Day.
The APFL, the Balochistan Labour Federation, the Pakistan Telecom Employees Union and the All Pakistan Federation of Trade Unions held meetings where their leaders vowed to continue the struggle to achieve the rights of the working class.
The BLF held a meeting the district government lawns, the PTEU at the general post office, the APFL at the Idara-i-Saqafat and the APFTU at the Quetta Electricity Supply Company compound.
The speakers condemned the ordinances that deprived the workers of their rights.
They said the government had failed to solve the problems faced by the labour class. They said the rulers had not taken steps to resolve the problems of unemployment and price hike and provide basic facilities to workers.
They criticized the government for not allowing the labour unions to take out processions in the city to observe the day.
They said the district Nazim had earlier relaxed the ban on demonstrations to himself protest over the Water and Sewerage Authority issue.
They said May Day was being observed throughout the world to pay tribute to the Chicago martyrs but in Balochistan the labourers were restricted indoors.
They said the working class was facing problems as the rulers in collaboration with the capitalist class had hatched a conspiracy to suppress the movement of the workers for the rights of the downtrodden.
They said the labour organizations would never compromise on the rights of the working class and warned that the government and the exploiters would be responsible for an economic crisis if the upper class did not realize the gravity of the situation.
They demanded that all anti-worker laws should be abolished to allow the working class to play its vital role for economic growth and political stability in the country.
