Woes of the daily wagers

Worried citizens hope for resumption of business activities.

KARACHI:

The national exchequer did suffer a loss, but it was the citizens who were the most affected by the strike. All markets and shops remained shut, while operators of public transport also kept their vehicles off the road.

Citizens approached by The Express Tribune said that the strike was intense, causing the entire city look to as if it had no sign of life. Food outlets, mechanical garages, take-away stalls and general stores, among others, remained shut throughout the day.

Citizens faced limited problems compared with daily wagers. While they faced difficulty in buying commodities for daily use, wagers who constitute the backbone of trade activities were the most affected, as they have been in the past. A plumber, requesting anonymity, said, “Traders who called the strike against extortionists may have gained the government’s attention, but it is the daily wagers who have been forced to sacrifice their wages.” He expressed disappointment, saying, “These traders are inconsiderate towards us – we deserve part of the wealth they have accumulated so we can feed our family.”

Small-scale milk shop retailers also suffered heavily, having no proper method of storing milk, as opposed to the larger milk shop owners, who could afford deep freezers. “I secretly managed to sell 40 litres of milk to customers who visited my house. However, despite the sale, I faced losses worth thousands of rupees, as most of the milk expired due to lack of storage facilities”, said a milk shop owner.

Several daily wagers expressed hope that the city would return to normal today (Wednesday), saying they were forced to rely on their savings for daily expenditures.

Additionally, 25,000 street children who relied on hotels for meals suffered from hunger, as closure of hotels prevented customers to distribute food to the poor. The strike also inflicted hundreds of other citizens with hunger, particularly those who dine at free food facilitation centres set up by human rights organisations such as the Edhi Foundation and Salani Welfare Trust.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th,  2011.