KARACHI, May 1: Many processions taken out from different areas of the city to observe International Labour Day, which continued converging at the Karachi Press Club till Tuesday evening, criticised the government for imposing a ban on labour and trade unions.

A public meeting was held at the Karachi Press Club, which was attended by workers of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation, the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, Labour Party Pakistan, Awami National Party, and activists of several trade and labourers federations.

Those who addressed the meeting included Akhlaq Ahmed, Mazhar Abbas, Jalil Shah, Fateh Mohammad Soomro, Karamat Hussain, Alama Rizvi, Saeed Khan, Shaukat and Amir Nawab Khan.

Recalling the sacrifices of labourers in Chicago who laid down their lives on May 1, 1886 for their rights, the participants of the meeting said the sacrifices were still remembered even after a century. They condemned the anti-labour policies of the government and said that despite tall government claims the problems of the working class were on the increase.

They said 90 per cent of the employees in different private and government departments were working on a contract basis and their services could be terminated anytime as they had no appointment letters. They criticised the military rulers for snatching the rights of unionism from the employees and increasing their duty hours from eight hours to 18 hours and that too at nominal wages.

The speakers maintained that the government was denying the rights of holding referendum in various corporations and other organisations which was an ample proof of the government’s anti-labour policies. By imposing a ban on unions, they said, the government had given a free hand to industrials and capitalists to exploit the employees.

They asked for regularisation of services of all the contract employees in government and private organisations. They also demanded an end to the military governments, restoration of the constitution and true democracy; and independence of the judiciary.

Earlier, the Awami National Party’s Malir chapter took out a procession from Quaidabad which terminated at the Karachi Press Club. Former nazim of SITE Town Amir Nawab, ANP leaders Mukhtiar Khan, Aziz Khan, Anwar Zeb and Saeed Ahmed Khan addressed the participants of the rally.

The speakers demanded an immediate withdrawal of the ban on trade unions, increase in wages, repeal of Industrial Relations Ordinance 2002 and opposed the privatisation policies of the government, contract system, retrenchment, downsizing and the increase in duty hours.

A public meeting was held at Marhaba Lawn, Nazimabad, under the aegis of the National Trade Union Federation Pakistan with Ghani Zaman Awan in the chair. Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, leaders of Labour Party Pakistan Comrade Shehla Rizwan, leader of National Party Hasil Bizinjo, leader of Communist Party Imdad Qazi, labour leaders Nabi Ahmed, Nasir Mansoor, Kaniz Fatema, Yousuf Masti Khan, Habibuddin Junaidi and Farid Awan addressed the meeting.

In some unanimously approved resolutions, they opposed the government’s privatisation policy and demanded that the ban on trade unions should be lifted immediately. Assuring support to the lawyers’ campaign for the rule of law, the resolutions demanded independence of the judiciary, regularisation of contract employees, labourers’ representation in social security, EOBI and provision of medical facilities to all the employees.

They also condemned anti-labour policies being pursued in the motorcycles manufacturing factories of Hub, Balochistan and asked for action against the persons involved in violation of labour laws. The Labour Party Pakistan took out a rally from Regal Chowk, Saddar, which was led by Comrade Shehla Rizwan, Ghani Zaman Awan and Nasir Mansoor. Holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans in support of socialism, against the military rulers, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the World Trade Organisation, the participants of the rally marched on Zaibunnisa Street and reached Karachi Press Club, where they set on fire the effigy of US President George W. Bush.

Shehla Rizwan, Sajjad Zaheer, Haji Bashir, Sharafat Ali, Yasin Jat, Abdul Salam, Feroz Khuhro, Hanifullah, Abdul Hanan, Ghani Zaman Awan, Azra Perveen and Najma Khanum addressed the rally.

Under the aegis of All Pakistan Trade Union Federation, Sindh, a public meeting of labourers was held at KMC Workshop at Nishtar Road.

Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, Leader of the Pakistan National Party Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch, Qadir Khan Mandukhail advocate, Leader of Mazdoor Kisan Party Pakistan S.M. Altaf, and a number of trade union leaders including Farid Awan, Habibuddin Junaidi, Shaikh Majid, Anwar Qasim, Noor Mohammad, Jaffar Khan, Nasim Rao, Junaid Awan, Mohammad Nawaz and Ghulam Shah spoke on the occasion.

The speakers recalled the Chicago martyrs and said it was time to snatch their rights from the usurpers, as the poor labourers had always been denied their rights. They expressed their concern over the price hike and said with such low wages the labourers were unable to make both ends meet.

They said the country’s lucrative organisations were being sold out at throwaway prices and the rulers were busy serving their own interests. They said violation of labour laws was common at all working places which did not bother the rulers who have their own vested interests.

Referring to the termination of employees’s services from Pakistan Railways, Karachi Electric Supply Corporation, Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited, Habib Bank, Zari Taraqiati Bank and other financial institutions, they said the government was bent upon destroying institutions and crushing the poor on the dictations of Zionist forces.

The speakers also criticised President General Musharraf for suspending the chief justice and termed the action a black chapter in the judicial history of the country. The participants through a resolution asked the government to revoke the Industrial Relation Ordinance 2000 and readjust the sacked employees of different institutions.

The Women Welfare and Development Organization arranged a public meeting at Godhra, New Karachi. Nawab Ali, Hamida, Sikandar Ali, Manzoor Hussain, Abdul Hayee, Noor Rehman and Saliha highlighted the problems being faced by women in the informal sector, garment factories, textile mills and condemned the contract policies. They spoke on the plight of domestic workers and said unemployment and prices of daily-use commodities were on the rise.

Meanwhile, the chairperson of Pakistan People’s Party (Shaheed Bhutto), Ghinwa Bhutto, paid tribute to sacrifices of the labourers who laid down their lives for the rights of the downtrodden and oppressed people on May 1, 1886 in Chicago. She stressed the need that the low income group should realise that the capitalists were not ready to give the poor people their rights. She said the labourers should continue their struggle to get their rights from capitalists and industrialists.

She criticised the government’s privatisation policies and said the employees were sacked under the retrenchment and golden handshake policies which was causing an alarming increase in the unemployment. She said it was need of the hour to get united against the anti-labour forces as a war between the capitalists and poor people had already started on the globe.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Mohtamim Jamia Binoria Alia Shaikh-ul-Hadith Mufti Mohammad Naeem said all black laws including IRO 2002 should be repealed and demanded an end to all anti-labour policies of the government being pursued on the dictation of Zionist forces.

Liaquat Sahi, leader of the State Bank Employees Union, said the May Day of 1886 was a source of inspiration for the labourers and asked all the labourers to continue their struggle till achievement of their rights.