RAWALPINDI, May 1: A number of trade unions and civil society organizations held rallies and meetings in connection with the World Labour Day on Thursday, demanding more rights for the poor and the working class.

In this regard, the People’s Rights Movement (PRM) and its constituent organizations held a Tonga rally to give out a message to the capitalists, industrialists and feudals that without ensuring the rights of the poor in a democratic setup, there was no hope of expecting a harmonious society. Another objective of the rally was to highlight the need for expanding the labour movement in the country.

Tributes were paid to those labourers who sacrificed their lives in Chicago, United States, on May 1, 1886, in a bid to make the industrialists reduce their duty time to eight hours.

All Pakistan Alliance for Katchi Abadis, Deharidaar Mazdoor Union, Communist Party, a number of public sector trade unions, student organizations and workers welfare associations participated in the rally.

The rally started from Liaquat Bagh at 10am and culminated at the Rawalpindi Press Club at 1pm after passing through Murree Road and taking a U-turn from Faizabad intersection.

The participants, including women and children, were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans highlighting the working class’s services for the country’s development. Some of the slogans held the elite responsible for the miseries of the downtrodden and lower middle class.

Those who spoke to the participants included Asim Sajad Akhtar, Zahoor Khan, Hafiz Arif, Bashir Batar, Ayub Khan, Sheikh Abdur Rehman, Asghar Gujar, Masudul Hasan and Asha Amir Ali.

The speakers urged the government to take back the Industrial Relation Ordinance (IRO 2002), terming it pro-elite.

They said, in Pakistan, only three per cent workers were associated with trade unions in the formal sector, while 97 per cent belonged to the informal sector, working without any social protection.

The speakers said owing to the expansion of global capitalism and corporatization of state and society, a large number of citizens were facing problems, specially in health, education, and housing sectors. These problems can only be solved through democracy and recognizing workers’ rights.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the workers of the All Pakistan Federation of Trade Union, Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign and Refinery Employees Union was held at the Rawalpindi Press Club under the auspices of Pakistan Workers Confederation.

The employees of Pakistan Television, Capital Development Authority (CDA), Oil and Gas Development Authority (OGDC), Public Works Department (PWD), Sui Northern Gas (SNG), Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, National Bank, Pakistan Telecommunications Company participated in the meeting. Representatives of Rawalpindi-Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) were also present in the meeting.

Those who spoke on the occasion included C.R. Shamsi (RIUJ), Azad Qadri (PTCL), Mohammad Akram Bunda (PTV), Mohammad Iqbal Dogar (CDA), Sajid Tanoli (OGDC), M. Riaz Bhati (PWD), Raja Ghulam Hussain (SNG) and Hameedur Rehman Qureshi (PBC).

The speakers highlighted the problems being faced by the employees, specially contractual workers, of their respective departments.

They termed the IRO, 2002 anti-poor and anti-working class, and called for regularization of contractual employees. They asked the government to increase workers’ salaries.

The speakers also condemned downsizing in various departments, and asked the government end its dependency on the International Monitory Fund and the World Bank to save the future of the coming generations.