ISLAMABAD: Workers and labour organisations arranged seminars and rallies on International Labour Day in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Thursday, urging the working class to join hands for their rights.

In the federal capital, Awami Workers Party (AWP) and Anjuman Rehribaan Islamabad (ARI) paid tribute to historical working class struggles. AWP leader Aasim Sajjad said Pakistan’s working class was more exploited than ever before with only 2pc of the labour force registered in any formal trade union.

“Successive Pakistani governments have spearheaded a de facto policy of de-industrialisation which means that there are no jobs to accommodate the millions of young people who join the labour force every year. Instead, the ruling class relies on the expropriation of natural resources. This is why Pakistani workers smuggle themselves out of the country, many dying in the process of trying to enter foreign countries on overloaded ships,” he said.

ARI leader Rana Sherbaz said the plight of street vendors in Islamabad encapsulated the anti-worker bias and all preceding governments.

Pakistan’s working class more exploited than ever before with only 2pc of labour force registered in any formal trade union, says AWP leader

“Many street vendors migrated to Islamabad from rural parts of Punjab, Pakhtunkhwa and AJK because they had no secure livelihoods. Yet in the federal capital of the country, these workers are regularly subject to repression by the CDA and police in the name of clearing ‘encroachments’ while big capitalists and state officials who regularly grab resources and completely defy laws are completely immune from any accountability,” he said.

“Even those who find employment regularly work for 12-16 hours in despicable conditions – despite the law mandating no more than an eight-hour working day – and only a small percentage of the workforce actually receives the formal minimum wage,” he said.

In another event, the union leader of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) Chaudhry Qamar Gujjar said the day was being observed as a reminder for the decision makers to think about the rights of labours, employees and under privileged class.

Tanveer Noshahi said it was unfortunate that the rulers speak about the rights of labours but they don’t care about them.

Meanwhile, Federal Government Employees Housing Authority Ittehad Union President Mohammad Bilal Kamboh, General Secretary Raja Mudassar Nawaz and other officials paid tribute to the dignity and value of the labour force. They stated that while Islam has clearly defined the rights of labours, those rights are not being granted by capitalists. Raja Mudassar Nawaz said the labour and working class constantly remained trapped in hardship and struggle.

“Every year on May 1, promises are made to reduce their suffering, but unfortunately, no serious efforts are made either by the government or the private sector to ensure that labour rights are respected and upheld,” he said.

Rawalpindi

The Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation and Rawalpindi Waste Management Company workers brought out a rally on Murree Road from RMC office to the Rawalpindi Press Club. PML-N Metropolitan President and former Mayor Sardar Naseem Khan along with Municipal Labour Union Raja Haroon, Shahid Padri, Fakhar Warraich, Chengez Bhatti and Raja Zafar Iqbal were also present.

The participants carried red flags and placards inscribed with slogans for the rights of workers. They chanted slogans in favour of their demands.

Speakers on the occasion urged the workers to stand up for their demands. They said that inflation had increased workers problems as they were getting less salary and it was not enough to manage their kitchen budgets.They said industrial workers were not getting their rights and were suffering from financial crises.

Meanwhile, Rawalpindi Arts Council also held an event which began with a solidarity walk. The walk started from Stadium Road and concluded at Cultural Complex. It was led by Director of the Arts Council Sajjad Hussain and labour unions leaders.

A large number of laborers, students, civil society members, and artists joined the walk, expressing unity and appreciation for the working class. Following the walk, a special seminar was organised at the council’s auditorium, which was attended by Senator Nasir Butt, MPA Tahira Mushtaq, PML-N leaders, Sajjad Khan, Arslan Sheikh, Khalid Saeed Butt, Sheikh Tanvir, leaders from PML-N labour wing and trade unions.

Senator Nasir Butt said the day was not just a commemoration but a call to action for ensuring better working conditions and respect for all workers.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2025