Like other parts of the world, labour day is being observed in Pakistan as well. The day is marked in the memory of laborers who held a protest for eight working hours a day in Chicago on 1st May 1886 when the administration of the mill put out the fire in the area and some 12 laborers were burnt and killed by fire. After three years of this gloomy incident in 1889 first labour day was observed. By then every year 1st May is celebrated throughout the entire world.
In Pakistan the life of labourers are very tough as there is neither any protection of the services nor there is any facility to the hardworking labour due to lack of implementation of the labour laws. Each and every political party claims at the time of election that after coming to power it will make policy for the welfare of the labourers but as soon as it wins the polls, it forgets all its pledges regarding the working class of labourers.
In Pakistan the important government official issues a message on the labour day which is nothing more than lip service. Some of the government’s institutions celebrate labour day by holding functions in luxury five star hotels to mark the day where the labour class is not allowed even to pass by the road leading to the premises, where their day is celebrated
Though several times the government announced the labour policy, their working conditions could not be improved. The government announced a minimum salary limit for the laborers in every year’s budget but it was never implemented as the private sector put it in the doldrums and the government did not take any action for non-compliance of the order.
Though all the provincial governments have special departments to evolve the policy for the welfare of the labour and every year a hefty budget is allocated for it but the performance of these organizations is nothing, as no practical work was carried out for the welfare of labour in the country.
Almost 80 percent of labour forces are employed in factories or in the construction sector , which is run mostly by the private sector, which does not take care of the welfare. Most of the employers provide no basic facilities such as medical or transport and children education to their labourers. Only a few big industrial units in the country have separate colonies. Similarly, only some factories are running dispensaries for medical treatment for the laborers and primary schools for the education of their children.
Now it is the duty of the government to establish special schools and hospitals in every city which may provide free of cost treatment, medicine and education to the family members of laborers because they are the lowest paid class in the country.
Special legislation should be brought under which a special fund for the welfare of the labours should be formed from which they should be given aid on the marriage of their children or treatment of their ailing family members and the employer may be assigned task to recover a nominal amount from his salary on monthly basis, which may be deposited in that fund.
The employment on the third party contract system of the labourers should be abolished and the firms which are carrying out recruitment of the labourers should be bound to give at least medical and transport facilities to them.