FAISALABAD: Participants in a procession, organised by the Adara Samaji Behbood, Pakistan Interfaith Peace Council and Human Rights, on the eve of the Labour Day on Wednesday urged the government to award wages to workers considering the real living expenditures.

Protesters rejected government’s announcement of awarding a Rs1,000 annual increment for workers on the International Labour Day.

They also enchanted slogans against low wages, skyrocketing inflation and loadshedding.

PMLN MPA Dr Najma Afzal, Arif Ayaz and Irshad Parkash spoke.

They said living wage was a minimum income necessary for a worker to afford the basic needs of a family for a safe, decent standard of living.

The government should ratify ILO conventions protecting the rights of home-based and domestic workers.

Speakers said home-based workers needed security for employment, income and social security simultaneously because they did not have social and legal protection despite their major contribution to the economy.

They said living wage differed from minimum wage set by the government as minimum wage had failed to meet the requirements of a worker. The poverty and low pay were closely associated with social disadvantages, including poor health, substandard housing and personal debt.

They urged the government to implement labour laws, including elimination of bonded labour and child labour strictly.