LAHORE: The All Pakistan Federation of Trade Unions on Friday organised rallies and processions to observe the International Labour Day across the country and paid tribute to the sacrifices of Chicago workers.

In Lahore, the federation held a rally outside the Bakhtiar Labour Hall led by Secretary General Khurshid Ahmed, who urged the federal and provincial governments to address inflation caused by the rise in petroleum prices burdening the working class.

He urged the government to fill vacant posts immediately and lift the ban imposed on recruitment to reduce unemployment and tackle the growing poverty in the country.

He said that the disparity between the rich and the poor, feudalism, and capitalism should be ended and major capitalists and feudal lords should be taxed. He said the country should be made economically self-sufficient by reducing reliance on foreign loans.

The workers emphasised the implementation of labour laws to ensure the safety and health of workers, and the creation of a safe and worker-friendly environment.They demanded that the wages of government, semi-government, factory and industrial workers should be increased by 50 per cent in the national and provincial budgets to cope with the rising cost of living.

They demanded that the minimum wage should be raised to Rs60,000 and the old age allowance should be set at Rs40,000. They also demanded to abolish child and forced bonded labour.

They said that contract, contingent, daily wage and temporary workers should be made permanent and privatisation of national institutions should be avoided.Meanwhile, a large gathering of workers and trade unions turned into a show of rare unity as the Labour Education Foundation, Bhatta Mazdoor Union, Textile Powerloom Garment Workers Union and Home-Based Workers Union jointly staged a protest demonstration.

The demonstration was marked by strong sloganeering against rising inflation, with participants criticising the economic policies of PPP and PML-N and demanding a Rs20,000 inflation allowance.

The protesters also called for fixing the minimum wage at Rs80,000, warning that growing hunger and economic hardship among workers could lead to increased unrest.

Addressing the gathering, labour leader Niaz Khan condemned the recent increase in petroleum prices and criticised existing labour policies, demanding universal access to social security and Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI).

Aslam Meraj highlighted the importance of enforcing the eight-hour workday, while speakers from HBWU drew attention to the plight of home-based women workers, many of whom, they said, had been forced to work 14 to 16 hours daily without receiving even the officially notified minimum wage.

The speakers said the orders for closing businesses at 8pm had destroyed supplementary household incomes, particularly for families dependent on small-scale vending leaving many without any social protection. They demanded effective implementation of laws protecting home-based workers, along with provision of social security and pension cards.

Riffat Maqsood called for a comprehensive policy framework for women agricultural workers, stressing their exclusion from labour protections.

Other speakers, including political leaders and representatives of various organisations, criticised what they termed decades of neglect of the working class, pointing to rising poverty, lack of access to education and healthcare, and widening inequality.

They urged the government to ensure enforcement of labour laws, expand social security coverage, and take concrete steps to control inflation.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2026