The National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) Pakistan, the Home Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF), and other labor organizations organized a protest rally from Karachi Press Club on Sunday against the ongoing wage slavery and third-party contract system in the workplaces.
A large number of workers participated in the rally, led by comrades Zahra Khan of the HBWWF and Riaz Abbasi of the NTUF. The participants were carrying placards with demands and red flags in their hands. The leaders demanded Rs50,000 minimum wage and said that social security and pension should be provided to all citizens.
Addressing the rally, Nasir Mansoor, General Secretary, NTUF Pakistan, said that 90 million workers of the country had been suffering from severe economic exploitation. He said that inflation had forced the laborers to pass the worst life.
Mr Mansoor said that the third-party contract system in factories and workplaces had not only deprived the workers of their right to identity and unionization but also deprived them of social security, pension, gratuity, eight-hour work, overtime, bonus and recourse to labor court in case of dispute.
He warned that any plan to provide legal protection to an inhumane system like thakidari (third-party contracting system) would be strongly resisted.
He also said that the ruling classes as a result of their policies had been pushing the workers towards the situation of 1972 when the workers had no choice but to revolt.
Zehra Khan of HBWWF, said that economic policies were being imposed under the pressure of the IMF, which would have terrible results like in the past. For the economic and social development of the country, it was necessary to withdraw all privileges from the ruling class, transfer the burden of taxes from the people to the rich and reduce all non-productive expenses by fifty percent.
Other labor leaders said that millions of workers had been affected by the country’s economic, political and social crisis, but their opinions were not given any importance. They said that satisfied workers were of primary importance for the development and progress of the country. “Currently, more than ninety percent of the workers have been forced to live below the poverty line.” To change this inhumane environment, resistance had been imposed on the working class, they added.
In the protest rally, it was announced to strongly resist the nefarious attempt to provide legal protection to the contract system by rejecting the draft of the Sindh Labor Code. In this regard, a nationwide protest movement would be started with the cooperation of all labor organizations.
The rally leaders said: “All employees should be given a written appointment letter at the time of employment. The illegal contracting system in factories and workshops should be abolished and the elements involved in that heinous crime should be punished.”
“Concrete steps should be taken to ensure compliance with labor laws. A tripartite consultation should be initiated to improve and harmonize labor laws. A tripartite labor conference should be held immediately to resolve all labour-related issues,” they added.
Those who spoke including Gul Rehman (National Trade Union Federation), Aneesa Yaqoob, Parveen Bano (Home Based Women Workers Federation), Saira Firoz, Ruqia Muhamef Hanif (United HB Garments Workers Union), Qazi Khizer (Human Rights Commission of Pakistan) and others.