ISLAMABAD, April 30: President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz have claimed that the government will protect the working class’s rights and genuine interests and urged the workforce to play its due role in national development.

In their separate messages on the eve of the May Day, they assured that the government would make all efforts to ensure decent work for the people and would take all possible measures for their rights and welfare.

President Musharraf in his message said the government was revamping the labour laws to ensure admissibility of workers’ rights and benefits as internationally recognized.

He said the government was cognizant that the sustainability of development efforts was crucially linked with the availability of decent work opportunities for able and willing adults.

He said high pro-poor growth, social development, good governance and protection of the vulnerable were four basic themes of the government’s employment and poverty reduction strategy. He said the measures taken included, in addition to development projects, targeted programmes, accelerated investment, an upgradation of vocational and technical competence of the work force.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said the government was “actively involved in the welfare of workers” and determined to “improve their working conditions and living standards”. Terming workers partners in development he said the government firmly believed in rights at work and said the government was framing new labour laws in the light of Labour Policy 2002 and in conformity with the international protocols.