Today, Pakistan recalls the plight of its workers once more, and for a brief while, the red flag will fly during rallies held by labour rights organisations and Left-leaning political parties to commemorate May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day or Labour Day. But that will soon be forgotten, just like the working class in Pakistan. Throughout our history, these workers’ rights have been consistently rejected, and no government has made a significant effort to raise the standard of living for the working class. Basic legal entitlements like pensions, social security, and old age payments are still largely denied to most workers.
What’s worse is that their right to organise a union is systematically suppressed, leaving workers without any national organisations to advocate for their interests. This first day of May honours the eight-hour workday battle that led to the infamous Haymarket Affair in May 1886 in Chicago, USA, where numerous workers perished. However, the term “mayday” can also be used as a distress signal, which is what is happening right now as Pakistan’s daily wage labourers and other workers are suffering from extreme stress brought on by the country’s crippling poverty. This year, it has been made worse by the growing stress brought on by a faltering economy and crippling prices.
Although we are aware that workers across the nation are battling to keep their jobs as factories and workplaces close as a result of the nation’s economic crisis and as others pass away at work as a result of a lack of safety regulations and rules, there have been no protests for these workers’ rights or calls from political parties to protect them. Nevertheless, we are aware that this year, between January and March 10, at least 30 mine workers perished in various incidents throughout Pakistan; approximately seven million workers in the textile and related industries have been laid off as a result of declining exports; and the Baldia factory fire victims’ heirs continue to have unresolved complaints regarding compensation.
We should all be considering how the working class will manage at a time when even the salaried class and people from higher income levels can receive minimal assistance to live in times of acute adversity.
Pakistani labourers continue to endure insecure lives. In addition to placing the enforcement of minimum wage laws at the bottom of its list of priorities, the government has neglected to address the long-standing issue of bonded labour in brick kilns. Tens of thousands of people are slaves to debt while working in intense heat. Governments keep giving in to the pressure from kiln owners. In January of this year, after brick kiln owners threatened to halt operations, the abruptly dropped the matter of the welfare of children who work in situations that are close to contemporary slavery.
There are many women working in the country, but they confront two challenges. They face challenges such as frequent harassment, rape, assault, and other crimes in addition to poverty and lower pay than their male colleagues. Pakistani workers do not lead simple lives. However, what they really need is to have their bodies, minds, and labour respected; they don’t need a vacation.
