KARACHI, May 1: Scores of events were organized on Saturday in the metropolis to mark the international labour day, May Day. Thousands of public and private sector employees attended the rallies, demonstrations and meetings to pay rich tributes to the labourers who had laid down their lives in Chicago for the cause of labourers' rights.

Labour leaders told the workers that it was the Chicago labourers' sacrifice that the workers and labourers world-over were enjoying a maximum of eight-hour shift a day to work in.

Participants of the events vowed to forge unity and continue to struggle for their due rights.

One of the main events in the city was the meeting organized by the National Trade Union Federation of Pakistan. Mr S. P. Lodhi, Senator Raza Rabbani, Saleem Raza, Habibuddin Junaidi, Shaikh Majeed, Mohammad Rafiq, Roshan Kalhoro, M. A. K. Azamati, and several other leaders spoke on the occasion.

They demanded that the anti-labour laws, including the Industrial Relations Ordinance (IRO) 2002 be abolished and a new labour policy be chalked out keeping in view the recommendations put forward by labour organizations.

They warned of a nationwide movement if the IRO which, they said, was against the basic human rights and the international labour conventions signed by Pakistan, was not abolished.

They also criticized the working of the local office of the ILO and accused it of wasting billions of rupees on useless projects. They urged the ILO HQs to institute an inquiry into the affair.

They also criticized the government for following the dictates of international financial institutions and the World Trade Organization which was devastating the national economy.

The leaders demanded reinstatement of all those sacked under down-sizing and right-sizing, and those relieved from jobs under golden handshake.

They also demanded that lowest wages be fixed at Rs7,000 per month and steps be taken to revive more than 7,000 industrial units laying closed due to the government's wrong policies.

The speakers demanded that anti-democratic curbs imposed on workers be lifted and that they be allowed to participate in healthy trade union activities so that they could have a platform to get their issues resolved.

They further demanded that all labour laws be made in conformity with various international conventions that had been signed by the government. The urged the government to curtail non-development expenditure and the funds thus saved be utilized to enhance investment in social sector facilities like hospitals and schools, particularly in rural areas, where the situation was more pathetic and where majority of the population resided.

They criticized the managements of the Karachi Shipyard, Water Board, KESC, Pakistan Steel, Pakistan Railways and financial institutions for curtailing the facilities earlier availed by their workers since long.

They also criticized the role of the law-enforcement agency officials who, they said, were victimizing farmers that had been working on the agricultural farms in Okara and other areas of Punjab for over a century, but were now being forced to give up their rights.

They leaders expressed their full support to the farmers' stand that they should be given ownership rights of these farms.

Earlier, the workers took out processions from different parts of the city and after passing through various roads, held a big joint rally. They were chanting slogans in support of their demands and carrying banners, inscribed with the demands, in their hands.

FISHERMEN: Speakers at a rally, organized by the Fishermen Cooperative Society Employees Union to mark the May Day, criticized the government for giving licences to foreign fishing trawlers which, they pointed out, were destroying fish stock in the sea.