RAWALPINDI, May 1: The members of All Pakistan Workers Confederation (APWC) on Saturday demanded abolition of the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 2002, and a modest increase in the salaries of the working classes in commensurate with the inflation rate.
The APWC comprising union workers of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ), Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), PTV, Oil and Gas Development Corporation (OGDC) along with union members from some other organisations made this demand while staging a protest demonstration in front of Rawalpindi Press Club. The demonstration was staged in connection with May Day.
The participants termed the industrial ordinance a black law and demanded of the policymakers to make sincere efforts for solving the problems of the working classes and the downtrodden.
Earlier, speaking at a seminar in the press club, the APWC president, Zaheer Abid Bukhari, secretary, Zafarullah Niazi and the RIUJ's general secretary C R Shamsi along with a number of other speakers paid tribute to the labourers of Chicago, who sacrificed their lives on May 1, 1886, to snatch their rights from the capitalists and industrialists.
They also asked the working classes to learn a lesson from the heroes of Chicago and join their forces against the capitalists and industrialists. The interests of the labourers and the poor people were the same and beyond geographical boundaries or religions, therefore, they should make collective efforts for realisation of their rights, they said.
They also criticised the government for its anti-labour policies and asked it to stop its ongoing privatisation and downsizing policies in various organisations.
They also condemned corporate farming by the government in the country and termed it equal to depriving those farmers of their livelihood, who were toiling since their forefathers.
They said owing to the skyrocketing inflation more and more people were falling below the poverty line and now it had become impossible for the labourers and the working classes to even pay their utility bills and meet the educational expenses of their children.
Staff Reporter from Islamabad adds: Women activists of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) wearing red scarfs took part in a rally, organized by the women's wing of the party here on Saturday in connection with the Labour Day.
The rally, led by PPP women wing president Nargis Faiz Malik, started from China Chowk and ended at the Parliament House building.
The participants were carrying party flags and banners inscribed with different slogans such as "Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto", "Save Pakistan, Bring Benazir Bhutto back" and "the symbol of federation, Benazir." The activists also chanted "Go Musharraf go".
A large number of police personnel and women commandos were present throughout the route to handle any untoward incident.
The rally was also participated by PPP MNAs and MPAs, including Fauzia Habib, Rukhsana Bangash, Nishat Afza, Sabiha Syed and Azra Bano.
The rally turned into a public meeting in front of the Parliament House where speakers vowed to continue struggle for the uplift of labourers, particularly the working women.
Handbills containing messages of party chairperson Benazir Bhutto and former prime minister late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in connection with the International Labour Day were distributed among the participants on the occasion.
