HYDERABAD, May 9: Candidates of different parties contesting the general elections have pledged to double wages of labourers, especially for those who are associated with brick-making in the district, and implement all labour laws.

They were speaking at a seminar on “Political parties’ manifesto and labour rights” organised by Society for Protection of Rights of the Child (Sparc) in Tando Hyder to mark the Labour Day on Wednesday night.

PML-F’s candidate for PS-50 Makhdoom Shahbuddin Shah Hussaini said his party’s manifesto envisaged free education up to class-XII, free medical treatment and basic facilities.

He said he was not imported in the constituency; he belonged to the same area. His party had rejected the LG system, he said, adding that Pakistan was united if Sindh was united.

Labourers, peasants, kiln workers, kiln owners, representatives of civil society and political leaders attended the seminar.

Dr Rajab Memon, a candidate of Sindh Tarraiq-passand Party (STP) for NA-221, said workers were backbone of the country and no government had taken steps to resolve their issues.

He pledged to strive to provide maximum relief to workers and to ensure that all labour laws were implemented.

Independent candidate Veeru Kolhan said she was a liberated labourer and knew problems and ground realities. She had worked with labourers and helped many bonded workers get freedom.

She also pledged to keep serving peasants and labourers even if she was not elected. She vowed to provide education to children of labourers free of cost and to make efforts to increase wages, provide basic facilities and abolish toll tax.

Sparc’s Zahid Ahmed Thebo said the seminar had been organised to provide a platform to political parties to present their manifesto on labour rights so that labourers, especially kiln workers, should decide who they should vote for.

He said rights of labourers should be accepted and political parties should include them in their manifestos.

Punhoon Bheel, president of All Sindh Mahinat Kash Batha Mazdoor Trade Union, said political parties did not include labour rights in their manifestos because they lacked political will and labour laws were not implemented.

He said kiln workers and other labourers would support the candidates who would solve their issues. Labourers were aware and united and they would use vote as power, he added.

Others who also spoke on the occasion included Punhal Parhiyar, Dr Haider, Muhammad Hanif Siddiqui of the PML-N, and Inayatullah Thebo of Sindh United Party.