The working class all over the country
observed “International Labour Day” under the aegis of All Pakistan Workers
Confederation (Regd.) by carrying out Processions and Rallies in the various
cities including Quetta, Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Rahim Yar Khan,
Multan, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Mardan, Peshawar, etc. At
Lahore, thousands of workers took out a large procession from Bukhtiar Labour
Hall which was participated by trade union representatives and workers of various
affiliated trade unions including All Pakistan Trade Unions Federation,
National Trade Union Federation, All Pakistan WAPDA Hydro Electric Workers
Union CBA, Railways Workers Union CBA, Pakistan Telecommunication Employees
Union CBA, Bata Mazdoor League, Irrigation Labour Federation, All Pakistan PWD
Workers Union, All Pakistan Transport Workers Federation, National Bank of
Pakistan Trade Unions Federation, Bhatta Mazoor Union and other affiliated
trade unions.
They were carrying banners in support to
their demands for abolishing the abuse of feudalism and crony capitalism and
aggravating unemployment and abject poverty and rising irrational gap between
the rich and poor in the society and proposed policy of privatization of the
national public utilities including Electricity, Oil & Gas, Port Trust,
Civil Aviation, Railways, National Bank, P&D, etc., on the behest of World
Bank and IMF and condemning the exploitation of the children & bonded labour
women and discrimination against women, and urging amendments in the outdated
labour laws and rising fatal and non-fatal accidents of the workers due to
unsafe working conditions at work place.
The workers held a mass Rally at
Shahrah-e-Quaid-i-Azam which was addressed by veteran trade union leader Mr.
Khurshid Ahmad, General Secretary of the Union along with Ms. Robina Jameel,
President, Yousaf Baloch, Chairman, Akbar Ali Khan, Additional General
Secretary, Osama Tariq, Secretary, Ch. Muhammad Anwar and Khalid Butt, Ch.
Nasir Gulazar (Railways), Rana Abdul
Shakoor (WAPDA & Electricity), Niaz Khan and Ch. Khushi Muhammad Khokhar,
Hassan Muhammad Rana (Telecommunication), Jameel Butt (Bata Mazoor League) and
other trade union representatives. Mr. Khurshid Ahmad, General Secretary of the
Confederation speaking on the occasion expressed a great concern over the aggravating
economic and social sufferings of the working class and common citizens
allowing rich to be richer and poor to be poorer. Instead of introduction of
progressive National Economic and Social Reforms in outdated feudal and crony
capitalist system by the present Government. He stated that the country had
been being mortgaged into the clutches of IMF and World Bank while 200 billion
US$ of the capitalists and feudal lords and some politicians were still
deposited in the Swiss Bank while the Migrant Pakistani workers had been
remitting more than 18 Billion US$ to the national exchequer every year. He
declared that the Founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam and Dr. Allama Iqbal had
committed themselves to establish an egalitarian society and Quaid-e-Azam
himself declared that the national Public Utilities including Electricity,
Railways, Oil and Gas would be maintained in the public sector for the welfare
of the citizens while the Government had been handing over the public utilities
to the monopolists instead of introduction of administrative reforms for
raising their productivity. He warned the Government that the working class
would not remain as silent spectator, therefore, appealed to the working class
and all patriotic forces to strengthen the unity and defeat the exploitative
and divisive forces and terrorism in the country and establish a society based
upon social justice and fraternity and equality and social democracy.
The House
by a resolution urged the Government to introduce far-reaching economic and social
reforms and amend outdated labour laws in conformity with ILO Conventions and
not to privatize the public utilizes and had a meaningful dialogue with the
Trade Unions representatives and raise the Minimum Wages at least Rs.20,000/-
as well as pay and salaries and pension in the next budget @ 50% and get
enforced all labour laws and abolish the abuse of child and bonded labour and
discrimination against women and domestic workers and check price hike and
rising unemployment in the country. Thereafter, the Rally dispersed peacefully.
Osama Tariq
All Pakistan Wapda Hydro Electric Workers
Union CBA
Bukhtiar Labour Hall 28 Nisbet Road Lahore.
0333-4276811
Dated 1st May 2015
