In a statement issued here on Wednesday on the occasion of May Day, the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) said that there is a need to mark the Labour Day beyond mere symbolism.
The statement pointed out that the International Labour Day had special significance for Pakistan that was currently moving towards a fresh round of elections after a democratic government completed a full term for the first time in the history of the country.
All mainstream parties contesting polls have announced their election manifestos, and their agenda for the labour class had been a critical indication of their future direction towards establishing a pro-people regime.
The PILER statement, however maintained that the labour agenda was “devoid of a genuine representation of workers’ interest.”
Further, it said that nearly all manifestos promised to raise wages, expand social security, and facilitate employment creation through privatisation.
The PILER statement demanded that the new government must address the deficits in the state’s laws and institutions for labour rights, particularly the right to worker unions, the absence of which remained at the root of the workers disconnection from the mainstream society.
It maintained that only a strong and engaging workers organisation could facilitate Pakistan’s transformation to a healthy democracy that would uphold the values of equality and social justice.