It is a common perception that labourers in Pakistan are not given their due rights. However, it is strange that more than 500 such labourers are working on a mega government project right in the middle of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

These men have been toiling away in substandard living conditions for the last six months to work on the metro bus project. Amid the sounds of rushing traffic, sizzling heat, heavy monsoon rains and dust from the construction sites, these workers are facing all the problems with resilience.

Their camps are set up on the service road from Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University till the Agency for Barani Area Development. Similarly, they have also settled down in front of Nawaz Sharif Park and at the Stadium Road.

Ashar David Mahi, a steel fixer, is not a man of means. “These camps are not fit for living but we have no other option. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night as rainwater enters my camp, and at other times I cannot sleep because of the humidity,” Mahi says, adding: “We have to face all the problems for the sake of our families.”

Even though the metro bus project is worth billions of rupees, he says, the labour camps lack basic facilities such as clean drinking water, first aid and washrooms.

Mahi points to an injury to his right foot and says: “I injured my foot during steel fixing. Amid screams and cries, I was taken to the Benazir Bhutto Hospital where I had to pay for the treatment on my own.” He says that there is no accidental health insurance for the labourers.

Ali Sher, a resident of Rajanpur, says that the contractors have set up 10 toilets on the Stadium Road for more than 500 labourers. “But they are far away from the camps. We have to cross the Murree Road and walk to the Double Road to use the toilets.” He said they also had to take bath in the washrooms but water shortage compelled most of the workers to use commercial washrooms located nearby.

“I get Rs400 per day, along with the overtime, but the ongoing protests have slowed down the pace of work which has affected my overtime earning.”

Mohammad Shahid, a young worker from Rahim Yar Khan, says that spending nights in the camps is a daunting task. “Being the sole breadwinner of my family, I have to face all these difficulties otherwise these camps are not appropriate for living,” he adds.

The labourers also complained about the food being served by the contractor. They said the contractor deducted Rs110 daily for the three-time meals.

“It is a routine for the contractor to serve us with pulses and vegetables. We get chicken only once in three or four weeks,” says Karam Hussain, an aged labourer.

Thousands of workers are involved in the construction work of the metro bus track. During the work, almost four workers have lost their lives while around a dozen have received injuries.

Due to the ongoing anti-government protests in the capital city, work on the project has also slowed down. The contractors in various segments of the project have run out of the construction material which has not only hindered the work but also affected the labourers’ wages.

The labourers also complained that their contractor had not paid them their daily wage. Rafiq Ahmed said his Rs3,000 were pending with the contractor. He said the contractor was of the view that cheques were pending with the authorities due to the protests.” But he said keeping the track record of the contractor in view, he was not worried about the pending wages.

Pakistan is a country where there is almost no protection and life insurance for the labourers. Some poor labourers can be seen performing dangerous tasks even without any safety gear.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2014