LAHORE: The working class all over the world will commemorate the Labour Day on Sunday (today) by taking out rallies and holding meetings to pay homage to Chicago martyrs while workers in Pakistan will take to the street primarily for unprecedented rate of unemployment.

Lack of recognition on the part of government, denial of fundamental rights like freedom of association, health and education will include the other challenges the working class of Pakistan will be highlighting during their May Day engagements.

The present regime has completed almost three years in office but has yet to take measures to ensure fundamental rights of workers, says veteran trade union leader Khurshid Ahmed.

“We still have laws like the Factories Act 1934, Boilers Act 1910, Mines Act 1923. The government has yet to consolidate 72 laws governing the working class in Pakistan. No measures have been taken to revive tripartite labour conference under the amended Convention No 44 of International Labour Organisation.

During the last one year or so, attacks on electricity employees had been on the rise. An XEN, two linemen, a line superintendent, two commercial assistants besides an operator were killed and scores were injured while performing their duty. A superintendent engineer remained under treatment for more than six months.

More than 200 workers die on an average annually while performing duties on lines and grids. The number of workers who lost their limb or became disabled has been much higher, says Mr Ahmed.

Pakistan Railways Prem Union senior vice-president Sheikh Anwar while seconding the assertion of Mr Ahmed says that the government had been ignoring the working class in the railways.

Pakistan Workers Confederation’s Punjab chapter president Rubina Jamil says a demonstration will be staged at Charing Cross on The Mall on Sunday morning to commemorate the historic struggle of the Chicago martyrs.

Bonded Labour Liberation Front Pakistan (BLLF) general-secretary Syeda Ghulam Fatima says that anti-slavery activists, trade union leaders and civil society representatives will march from Lawrence Road up to Simla Pahari on Sunday through The Mall to highlight the plight of laborers of brick kiln sector.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2016