The workers, predominantly those employed in the government departments, took to streets in rallies across Sindh on Monday to mark the International Labour Day.
The participants chanted slogans for their rights and blamed the government for exposing the workers to food insecurity because of unbridled inflation and an ever-increasing redundancy.
The lower employees of several government departments staged a protest under the aegis of Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign in Hyderabad. “The inflation is snatching the right to life from the people,” asserted Hussain Bux Khoso while speaking at the campaign’s rally outside the Hyderabad Press Club.
He blamed the government for turning a blind eye to the plight of the labourers whose wages are not being correspondingly increased in the face of the hyperinflation. Asadullah Durrani said the decades old problems of the government workers are still awaiting solution as the rulers continue to reiterate hollow promises on every labour day.
On the occasion of the International Labour Day, 2023 All Sindh Lady Health Workers and Employees Union (ASLHWEU) organised a rally in collaboration with Public Service International (PSI) and Workers Education and Research Organisation (WERO).
The rally started at 11am, from Poonam Chowk and culminated at Sindhi Language Authority. Later a public assembly was held at Dr Baloch Hall.
The speakers to the assembly along with participants of the rally laid out the problems lady health workers face in regards to poor working conditions and frugal amenities. The speakers also listed a set of their demands from the government. They asserted that till these demands are not met, and till lady health workers (LHWs) don’t get the insisted upon rights, their struggle will continue.
ASLHWEU President Haleema Laghari, General Secretary Shama Gullani, WERO General Secretary Mir Zulfiqar, HRCP VP Qazi Khizar, Rights Activist Pushpa Kumari and representatives of civil society organisations addressed the public Assembly. A higher pay with better amenities like proper health insurance, social security, maternity leave, overtime and gratuity is the right of lady health workers.
At a rally of All Pakistan WAPDA Hydro Electric Workers Union (CBA) in Hyderabad, the participants opposed the planned handover of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) and Sukkur Electric Power Company (SPECO) to the Sindh government. The union’s lifetime leader Abdul Latif Nizamani and other office bearers warned that the employees will hold protests and may organize a long march to Karachi to express their disapproval.
[9:31 pm, 01/05/2023] ET Z Ali Zeeshan Bhatti: Separately, a number of rallies were also organized in Sukkur district. The representatives of the All Pakistan Workers Federation Sukkur and Sukkur Trade Union Alliance at a demonstration outside the press club demanded better wages and rights for the worker class. The participants in the other rallies also called for making the increase in wages commensurate with the inflation.
The people at a rally of Motorcycle Rickshaw Drivers Union in Larkana complained that on one hand the increasing fuel prices have decreased their incomes and on the other hand poor roads, traffic management and extortion of bribes by the traffic police are affecting them.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 2nd, 2023.
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