1st May 2015 , workers resist correspondent
May day was celebrated with vigour and fervour by workers and youths of Bigul Mazdoor Dasta and Naujawan Bharat Sabha in many parts of India. The campaigns aimed at remembering the martyrs of Hay Market
and the history behind the May day received warm response from workers in many parts of the country. (more…)
LAHORE, May 1st: Change is not possible without the participation of workers and labourers in the struggle for securing their rights, Jawad Ahmed, founding president of the International Youth and Workers’ Movement (IYWM), said on Thursday.
He was addressing a rally held to mark the Labour Day at the Charing Cross. The IYWM, the Labour Welfare Federation of Pakistan (LWFP), the Pakistan National Trade Unions’ Federation and the Kissan Ittehad members participated in the rally.
Ahmed stressed the need for changing mindsets.
Umar Saleemi, the LWFP president said that the workers’ movement was at its weakest now despite the existence of a large number of prominent organisations. “These organisations are actually not working for the welfare of the workers,” he said. Separately, a women workers’ convention was organised by the USAID, the Aurat Foundation and HomeNet Pakistan. Speakers at the event reiterated the demand for a consolidated policy for home-based workers.
Umme Laila Azhar, the HomeNet Pakistan executive director, said that workers had waged a long struggle to get their rights.
“In 1884, workers had to work 10 hours a day. Female workers were also paid less than men at that time,” she said. She said that Pakistan’s home-based workers should be provided social security cover. “They must be given the right to unionise,” she said.
A charter of demands was also presented at the event. The demands were: home-based works should be provided with opportunities to sell their goods without the involvement of middlemen; the government should ratify International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions C-177 and C-189; the government should simplify the processes of registration of unions in the informal sector; local government elections should be held without any delay; and women workers in the informal sector should set the minimum wages.
The participants also demanded that October 20 be celebrated as the national day for home-based workers.
The Bonded Labour Liberation Front, the All Pakistan Workers’ Confederation, the National Trade Union Federation and the Pakistan Workers’ Federation will hold similar events today to mark the Labour Day.
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is going to announce the labour policy.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 1st, 2015.
Karachi, May 1: The employees of National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) staged a sit-in at its headquarters in the city for the acceptance of their demands.
The sit-in began at 11am and continued till 4pm.
The general secretary of All Pakistan Nadra Employees Union, Salman Zuberi, said the main demand of the workers was to have representation in the provincial committee set up by the Nadra chairman to resolve the problems of employees.
“If the workers don’t have representation in the committee, how will their problems be resolved?” he asked.
He said two months ago, the employees had planned to stage a sit-in outside the Nadra office in Islamabad in connection with issues pertaining to regularisation and payment of overtime allowance.
However, negotiations were held with the Nadra chairman and it was decided that nine regional committees will be set up to resolve the workers’ problems.
Zuberi said a committee had been formed for Sindh but without the representation of any employees.
He said the sit-in will continue on May 4 as well.
Hundreds of people who visited the 56 Nadra offices in the city on April 30 returned without any progress in their cases.
The offices will remain closed on May 1 on account of Labour Day, while the sit-in will also continue on May 4.
Not a single Nadra official in Karachi was available for comment while the director public relations in Islamabad asked to be dropped an email with the relevant questions.
Published by Daily The News on May 1, 2015
The following May Day statement addressing the workers of Ukraine was issued by the communist organization Union Borotba (Struggle), whose members were driven underground or into exile following the U.S.-backed coup in Kiev last year. It was translated by Workers World contributing editor Greg Butterfield. Until recently, we all perceived May 1 as a reason to open barbecue season, walk in a ritual procession under the red flag and spend time with friends at parties. Now this day is filled with new meaning for us. Ukraine lies in ruins. Donbass bleeds, factories close, the lights increasingly go out in cities, people have lost their jobs and savings, and pensioners are on the edge of survival. In one year, the country has been transformed from a poor European power into an impoverished and backward, war-torn colony. … This all happened before our eyes, the reality surpassing even the wildest negative forecasts and expectations. We are robbed: utility rates have risen more than three times; the hryvnia [Ukrainian currency] fell three times; inflation has exceeded 40 percent; to please the IMF, salaries and pensions are not indexed [to cost of living]; taxes were increased twice. The result is that the Ukrainian worker is now five times poorer than last year! […]