Mostly, what we observe is that this day is just a mere holiday when working people get off from their offices.
KARACHI: Every year, May 1 is celebrated as ‘Labour Day’ globally, also known as International Workers’ Day, which commemorates the struggle for an eight-hour working day by workers of Chicago. An official holiday is announced on this day in almost every country, including Pakistan.
In Pakistan, many processions, protests and demonstrations are held by different labour groups or workers from the government as well as the private sector demanding their rights. But mostly, what we observe is that this day is just a mere holiday when working people get off from their offices and take a break from their monotonous lives, planning outings and gatherings. Most of the labourers in Pakistan lie just below the poverty line. They work for around 10-11 hours a day but hardly earn Rs5,000 as a monthly wage. There are clauses in the Constitution which facilitate the working class but are still not enforced as the poverty-stricken masses are helplessly bound to work as per the whims and demands of their employers.
In these circumstances, the government must amend the existing act in the Constitution in line with the rising inflation and should enforce these laws to ensure that all workers and their families get the basic necessities of life.
Aiman Ali
Published in The Express Tribune, May 1st, 2014.
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