KARACHI: Labour leaders on May 1 International Workers Day decried that real wages of workers had declined by 45 percent due to highest-ever inflation, especially food inflation.

Nasir Mansoor of National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), Zehra Khan of Home Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF), Hassnia Khatoon of Association of Affectees of Baldia Factory Fire, and Riaz Abbasi of SITE Labour Forum in joint statement paid rich tributes to workers martyred in Chicago in 1886.

They said irrespective of which political party is ruling country, factory owners are not ready to give their workers government-announced minimum wage. Voice against exploitation of Capital is being silenced with force.

They said that on Labour Day, NTUF and HBWWF will arrange rallies, processions and demos in different cities of Pakistan to pay homage to martyrs of Chicago. In Karachi grand Workers Rally would be taken that would march from Regal Chowk to Karachi Press Club.

They said worst exploitation against which workers of Chicago had bravely fought is still present in our society. More than 70 million labours are compelled to work for 12 to 14 hours day in factories and workplaces and resultantly their quality of life is going from bad to worse.

Today workers despite announcement of Sindh government about Rs 25,000 per month minimum wage are getting meager wages that are not enough to even buy basic kitchen items like wheat flour, pulses, rice, milk, cooking oil and vegetables. Their current wages are not enough to pay for the utilities of electricity, gas, education and healthcare whose rates have been doubled and tripled. Due to fast depreciation of Pakistani rupee against dollar real wages of Pakistani workers have already fallen by up to 45 percent.

Published in The Daily National Courier, May, 01 2023

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