LABOUR DAY IN PAKISTAN

Labour Day (1st May) is a public holiday in Pakistan that is marked by rallies, marches, processions, labour/worker union sessions and organized street demonstrations.

Enforcement of labour laws in our country is very poor rather its mockery. About 40 million workforce in industrial and commercial sector is unable to get most of the benefits provided under the labour laws of Pakistan. There is no formal survey on the implementation of labour laws.

It is unfortunate and funny to promulgate laws and increase minimum wages for unskilled workers every year but without any implementation. Provincial governments do not have any will and capacity to implement labour laws in their own province.

The mistreatment of domestic help — and by extension, child domestic workers — is all too common in Pakistani cities. Domestic labour falls under the category of informal work, or ‘invisible’ labour. There are no clear laws to guarantee their rights, and no regulations to check whether the rights they are entitled to (eg minimum wage) are ensured. In Pakistan, we are not even sure who comes under the category of a ‘child’ due to the prevalence of contradictory laws. But just because they belong to the ‘invisible’ workforce does not mean we turn a blind eye to their mistreatment.

We expect new government to enact fresh labour laws keeping in view modern day requirements and implement vigorously.