RAWALPINDI: To pay tributes to martyrs of Chicago, workers and labourorganizations arranged seminars and rallies and urged the working class to join hands for their rights. A central rally was organized on Liaquat Road in Rawalpindi.

Workers from the Municipal Corporation, Rawalpindi Waste Management, Wapda, Railways and other departments participated in the rally in large numbers. The rally passed through Liaquat Road and ended on Murree Road outside the Rawalpindi Press Club. The participants of the rally held red flags in their hands.

The participants included PML-N Metropolitan Corporation Rawalpindi President and former Mayor Sardar Mohammad Naseem Khan, Provincial Assembly Member Raja Hanif, Ziaullah Shah, Javed Anwar Mughal, Pirzada Rahat Masood Quddoosi, Municipal Labour Union Municipal Corporation Rawalpindi President Raja Haroon Rashid and General Secretary Pastor Shahid Raza and Muslim League Labor Wing City President Chaudhry Fakhar Warraich.

Addressing on the occasion, Sardar Naseem and other speakers emphasized the need for immediate resolution of the problems of the workers. They said that the workers have an important role in the development of the country.

Labour Day rally pays tributes to Chicago martyrs

“The government should resolve the problems of the workers on a priority basis. The government should provide relief to the labourers affected by inflation,” he said.

Meanwhile, District Bar Rawalpindi President Tariq Mahmood Sajid Awan and Secretary Qamarul Haq Khan Niazi said in their statement on Labour Day that May Day is a day to remember the eternal sacrifices of the working class, tireless struggle and determination to achieve rights.

This day provides an opportunity to pay tribute to the hard work, perseverance and unforgettable role of workers around the world in economic and social development.

They said that workers are the backbone of the economy of any country. They said that the role of the working class is fundamental and key in national construction and development, industrial stability and social prosperity.

They said that it was only due to the day and night efforts of the workers that progress is achieved and the country’s economy is built on a stable foundation.

They said that May Day makes us realise that it is the joint responsibility of the state and society to provide workers their legitimate rights, decent wages, a safe environment and social security.

District Bar Rawalpindi President Tariq Mahmood Sajid Awan reiterated the resolve that the Rawalpindi District Bar Association will always raise its voice for the protection of workers’ rights, welfare and provision of justice.

He said that Islam has also given special importance to labourers and their rights, and for the establishment of a civilized and just society, it is necessary to give honour, respect and rightful place to workers.

He urged the government, industrialists and all sections of society to take practical steps to solve the problems of workers, improve their standard of living and provide them with equal opportunities for development.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad Restaurant Association raised serious concerns over the benefits being provided to workers by Social Security Islamabad, stating that negligence and lack of seriousness in facilitating registered workers is alarming.

Despite workers in Punjab and Islamabad contributing equally to the social security system, laborers in the federal capital are not being given the same benefits that are regularly provided in Punjab under the directives of the Chief Minister.

The association termed this situation a blatant injustice and warned that if Islamabad workers are not granted benefits equal to Punjab, they will be compelled to protest.

President Khurram Khan, General Secretary Sikandar Bakhtiar, Chairman Habibullah Zahid, Senior Vice President Ashar, and other office bearers of the Islamabad Restaurant Association stated in a joint statement that under the social security system, workers regularly deposit contributions based on workers’ salaries to ensure medical, financial, and welfare support for workers. However, they questioned why there is a disparity in benefits when contributions in Punjab and the federal capital are the same.

They further highlighted that in both regions, workers receive basic medical facilities and financial assistance, including support of up to Rs28,000 per month in certain cases and a death grant of up to Rs40,000. However, a significant gap exists in additional benefits.

According to the association, in Punjab, registered workers are provided with an additional Rs30,000 death grant for families, a monthly pension of Rs40,000 in case of accidental death, 3,000 under the Chief Minister’s ration card scheme, 7,000 under the Ramadan package, 700 as diet charges, and up to 75% travel cost coverage for medical treatment between cities.

In contrast, such additional facilities are largely absent in Social Security Islamabad. The association Representatives stated that this disparity reflects not only administrative inefficiency but also discriminatory treatment against the working class.

They added that workers in the federal capital contribute just as much as those in Punjab, and denying them equal benefits goes against the principles of justice.The office bearers warned that if Social Security Islamabad does not immediately take notice and ensure equal benefits for workers, the Islamabad Restaurant Association, along with other organizations, will be forced to adopt a protest strategy.

They demanded that the social security system be made uniform across the country, transparency be ensured, and workers be granted their rightful benefits so that the labor class does not continue to suffer deprivation.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2026