BAHAWALPUR/ FAISALABAD:
Speakers at various Labour Day rallies on Tuesday called for a united front of workers’ unions in the country. They said the front would make workers’ struggle for rights more effective.
They also demanded enforcement of labour laws, a 100 percent increase in minimum wage, registration of power-loom workers with the Employees Old-age Benefits Institution and Social Security Department, an end to collection of charity from factory workers and regularisation of contract workers who have been employed for over three months.
Dozens of rallies were arranged in Faisalabad by various workers’ unions to mark the Labour Day on Tuesday.
Rallies from Saddar, Baoowala, Timber Market, Ghulam Muhammadabad, Jaranwala Road, Samundri Road and Jhang Road culminated at the Clock Tower Chowk where trade union leaders gave speeches.
These were organised by National Workers Union of All Pakistan Utility Stores Corporation, Mazdoor Ittehad Union, Rickshaw Union, Faisalabad Textile Workers Federation, Pakistan Road Transport Workers Federation, Labor Qaumi Movement, Janbaz Labour Federation, Power Loom Workers Union, Punjab General Employment Federation, Development and Empowerment Foundation and Five Star Textile Workers Union.
National Workers Union central joint secretary Abdul Sattar Bazmi said the success of workers’ struggle for protection of their rights depended on unity in their ranks.
Mazdoor Ittehad Union general secretary Chaudhry Nazir Enayat criticised the government for its failure to improve workers’ standard of living. Labour leader Nadeem Perwaz said there were only 9,000 unions to represent more than 42.4 million blue-collar workers in the country.
He said a number of casualties were reported from workplaces ever year due to inadequate safety arrangements.
The street theatre group of National Student Federation on Tuesday performed Musali, a play by labour leader and playwright Major Ishaq, at a Labour Day ceremony in the city.
Speakers at a rally organised in Bahawalpur by Peoples Party Labour Bureau demanded resumption of operations at Peoples Textile Mills. The mills was established by PPP government in 1977.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 2nd, 2012.
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