LAHORE: Labour Education Foundation in collaboration with its grassroot organisations observed the International Workers Day in a befitting manner here on Thursday.

The Lahore Press Club intersection had been chosen as the venue to mark the event as the club offered to host the Labour Day activities this year.

Members of the Textile Powerloom Garment Workers Federation, Punjab Bhatta Mazdoor Union and Home-based Women Workers Union as well as of other organisations and belonging to various city districts thronged the venue in the morning.

Carrying placards and banners inscribed with their demands, they took a round of the Simla Hills enthusiastically chanting slogans to give a clear message to the authorities that they were united for their cause and would not hesitate to offer any sacrifices for winning their rights.

Speaking to them, TPGW Federation General Secretary Niaz Khan voiced workers’ concerns against Punjab Labour Code 2024, which legalises the contract system in the textile garments sector.

He said through this the government in fact put its weight behind the capitalists at the cost of the workers’ rights.

He criticised the factory owners for denying trade union rights to their workers, while the Labour Department official watched the situation as silent spectators.

Representing Home-based workers, Ayesha Ahmed expressed regret at divisions among workers and called for unity among their ranks to fight against their exploiters.

LEF representative Ms Jalvat Ali demanded that the minimum wage of workers should be fixed at Rs75,000 per month in view of the existing inflation.

She regretted that most factories and businesses are not paying even Rs37,000 per month wage as set by the government.

She urged Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to look into women workers’ harassment and other issues.

Advocate Rabia Bajwa chided class-based exploitation by feudal lords, capitalists and bureaucracy alike and called for a struggle like the one recently waged against developing six new canals.

Referring to the privatisation of telecom giant PTCL two decades ago, he advised health department workers not to believe in government promises of taking care of their rights through appropriate legislation in case of privatisation of the health facilities.

He said the same promises had been made with PTCL workers only to be forgotten later.

Earlier, the APTUF and the Bonded Labour Liberation Front took out a rally from Regal Chowk to Charing Cross.

BLLF’s Syeda Ghulam Fatima said that millions of workers remain trapped in cycles of poverty and exploitation.

Labour leader Rubeena Jamil noted that the worsening inflation has pushed working families to the brink and the government must ensure living wages, access to healthcare, education, and social security for all workers.

Bushra Khaliq of WIDE called for Rs500,000 compensation for every worker who dies due to a workplace accident.

WORKERS: Workers staged rallies and held conferences to mark Labour Day across the country by paying tributes to the sacrifice by Chicago workers for their rights and pledged to struggle for a society based on social justice, self-reliance, dignity of work and equality.

The workers in Lahore, under the aegis of the Pakistan Workers Confederation and other labour organisations, staged rallies, demanding an end to unemployment, price hike, poverty and irrational gap between the rich and the poor.

They also demanded increase in their wages commensurate with price hike. They demanded fixing of the old-age pension at minimum Rs30,000 per month in the forthcoming budget.

While chanting slogans for their rights, they also sought safe working conditions to prevent workplace accidents.

They were of the view that productivity of the national institutions, including the PIA, should be increased, rather than privatising them.

They stressed the need for abolishing child and forced labour and provide free education to the children of workers, besides ensuring safe employment for women.

Through a resolution passed by the rally participants, the federal government and all political parties were urged to defeat anti-Pakistan forces and uphold justice.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2025