On this May Day, we should all spare a thought for the countless street vendors, housemaids and others in menial jobs.
KARACHI: On this May Day, we should all spare a thought for the countless street vendors, labourers, masons, plumbers, hawkers, monkey-charmers, housemaids and others working in menial jobs.
These are people who usually work on a daily wage (except, perhaps, household domestic staff) and if they take even a day off from work, their earnings go down. Alternatively, if there is violence in and around where they live, their earning-potential gets badly affected.
It would also be fair to say that most of them have large families to support and work long hours or two jobs. Many are also underage. Some find ‘work’ as scavengers and rag-pickers while others make a place for themselves in more established fields, becoming mechanics, waiters and so on. While the government imposes a minimum wage, it is not implemented. Such people would not know, or care, what May Day even means.
Parvez Jamil
Published in The Express Tribune, May 1st, 2011.
