LAHORE: Revival of the fundamental right to form an association, provision of safe working conditions at workplace and stringent measures to check price hike are the major demands raised by the working class at the rallies and meetings held in connection with the Labour Day on Sunday throughout the country.

Workers took to the street in major cities under the aegis of All Pakistan Workers Confederation (APWC).

In Lahore, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) gathering on The Mall upset the labour marches and meetings as traditionally the thoroughfare has either been the part of rallies or venue of the meetings arranged primarily to pay homage to the martyrs of Chicago.

Participated in by representatives and activists of trade unions belonging to Wapda, Railways, PTCL, textile, engineering, chemical, construction, transport, banking and agriculture sectors the APWC had to culminate their march near Alhamra and arrange meeting there.

The Pakistan Workers Confederation (PWC) held its meeting at Jilani (Racecourse) Park, the Punjab PWD (C&W) Employees Union workers started their walk from near the Mayo Hospital Chowk and arranged a convention in front of Aiwan-i-Iqbal on Egerton Road while the National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUNP) staged a demonstration outside Lahore Press Club.

May Day rallies cut short by PTI show on The Mall

Veteran trade union leader Khurshid Ahmed demanded at the APWC meeting that the government should immediately take measures to check price hike and create employment opportunities for the youth. He also called for convening of National Tripartite Labour Conference which had not been convened for the last five years or so.

Opposing the government move to privatise the national public utilities like electricity, oil and gas, civil aviation, PIA, Mr Ahmed called for increasing their productivity by introducing administrative reforms and appointing honest and professional management and bringing an end to undue political interference in their day-to-day matters. Confederation Punjab President Rubina Jameel asked the government to control the plundering of national wealth by the elite. She demanded that the minimum wages of workers employed in government, semi-government, autonomous bodies and private sector should be fixed at Rs25,000 per month.

APWC General Secretary Osama Tariq, Textile Workers Federation President Chaudhry Anwar, Railways Workers Union General Secretary Hassan Rana, PTCL Employees Union President Khushi Muhammad Khokhar, Irrigation Employees Welfare Federation Senior Vice President Haji Younus, All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers Union President Niaz Khan demanded that the outdated labour laws should be amended and brought in conformity with the conventions of the International Labour Organisation, to which the government had been a signatory.

PWC Central President Zahoor Awan demanded that the government should announce a worker-friendly labour policy and ensure its implementation in letter and spirit.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2016