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Express Tribune
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Clarion call for end to capitalist exploitation
Participants of the rally pass through Zaibunnisa Street, carrying banners and flags demanding a just and fair homeland. PHOTO: JALAL QURESHI/EXPRESS On the occasion of Labour Day, National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF) and the Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) led a rally on Thursday, which included thousands of workers, with a significant number of women participating. Speakers at the rally demanded the dismantling of capitalist structures and the end of anti-labour policies. The rally began at Regal Chowk and concluded at the Karachi Press Club. NTUF General Secretary Nasir Mansoor, addressing the gathering, expressed regret over the global chaos caused by capitalist and right-wing governments. He highlighted how these policies have pushed billions into poverty and conflict, warning of the threat of a new form of colonialism emerging from economic instability and trade wars. Gul Rehman of the Workers Rights Movement criticised Pakistan's ruling elite for adopting anti-labour policies similar to their imperialist counterparts. HBWWF General Secretary Zehra Khan condemned the proposed labour code in Sindh and Punjab, stating that it would legitimise the illegal third-party contract system. She pledged strong resistance against its implementation. Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Asad Iqbal Butt claimed that various elite groups have united to prolong public suffering, while political parties divert attention away from class struggle. The rally concluded with resolutions demanding the removal of anti-worker clauses from labour laws, an end to the contract system, enforcement of minimum wages, and a halt to environmentally harmful projects. The organisers also announced a major workers' sit-in in the city ahead of the federal budget, with the date and venue to be announced soon. "The martyrs of May Day, by sacrificing their lives in Chicago, secured the eight-hour workday for workers around the world - we salute them. There is a need for special legislation in Pakistan to prioritise the rights of women workers. On one hand, women are discouraged from working by their families, and on the other hand, they face contemptuous or even violent behaviour from men in society." These remarks were made by Secretary of the Communist Party of Pakistan Karachi Committee and organiser of the Democratic Women's Association Kulsoom Jamal while addressing a women's rally organised by the Communist Party of Pakistan from Shaheen Complex to the Press Club in connection with May Day.
Express Tribune
01-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Enforce minimum wage: trade unions
On the eve of Labour Day, while the world rests in celebration of the workforce, industrial labourers toil in workshops — unseen and unthanked. PHOTO: JALAL QURESHI/EXPRESS Speakers at a seminar organised in connection with International Labour Day highlighted the government's failure to enforce the minimum wage laws in the country. The seminar, organised by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) on Wednesday, was attended by trade union leaders, government officials, and labour rights activists. Participants said that spiraling inflation and ongoing currency devaluation have eroded the real value of wages in Pakistan, making it difficult for workers to afford even basic necessities, despite the existence of minimum wage laws. Nasir Mansoor, labour representative on the Sindh Minimum Wage Board, opened the discussion with a pointed critique of employer practices. "Employers are willing to donate to charity, but not to pay fair wages to their workers," he said. He stressed that the country's legal minimum wage is no longer sufficient in light of inflation and highlighted the lack of collective bargaining rights for the majority of workers. "Ninety per cent of workers are denied the right to organise. While ethnic or racial identity may matter to many, we must remember that we are workers first," he said. Bushra Arain, representing the Sindh Lady Health Workers Union, shared firsthand accounts of organising contract workers under hostile conditions. "A pharaoh is sitting on every decision-making seat," she said, describing the authoritarian structures that suppress workers' rights. She recounted how her union's resilience enabled them to protest despite facing arrests and violence. PILER's Mirza Maqsood Ahmed spoke about the technical mechanisms through which employers evade minimum wage compliance. He explained how employers exploit ambiguities in the labour laws, including arguments that social security and EOBI contributions should be counted as part of wages. He also noted the lack of classification systems for skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled workers, which allows employers to minimise wage payouts and avoid providing additional benefits like gratuity. Senior trade unionist Qamar ul Hasan offered a stark historical comparison to illustrate the diminishing value of the minimum wage. "In 2001, 2.5 months of minimum wage earnings could buy one tola of gold. Today, it takes 8.5 months," he said. Hasan added that although the official minimum wage in Sindh stands at Rs37,000, an estimated 99 per cent of the country's 80 million-strong labour force is not receiving this legally mandated amount. Athar Shah, Director General of Shop Establishment, acknowledged the state's failure to enforce wage laws. "We are ashamed that despite having legal provisions, we cannot ensure their implementation," he admitted. Shah added that many workers seek jobs that offer overtime because the base wage alone is insufficient to support their families.
Express Tribune
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Anti-canals protests erupt on Rivers Day
Fisherfolk Forum activists stage a protest on a boat against the proposed new canals on the Indus River, which they claim would damage the coastal ecosystem. PHOTO: EXPRESS Speakers at a seminar have highlighted the growing ecological and socio-economic challenges posed by the degradation of the Indus River. The seminar, titled "Indus River: The Lifeline of Sindh Under Threat", was organised by the National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF) and the youth organisation, Alternate, at the Karachi Press Club on Friday. It coincided with the 28th International 'Action Day for Rivers.' Leading intellectuals, public representatives, and environmental activists, spoke at the seminar where they stressed the importance of protecting the Indus River, which is vital to the survival of Sindh and its people. NTUF Secretary General Nasir Mansoor has stressed that rivers are living entities, and interfering with their natural flow is not only an ecological crime but also a threat to regional stability He also pointed out that Pakistan's coastal areas, once home to the world's seventh-largest mangrove forests, have been devastated, and the Indus Delta, the world's fifth-largest delta, is now in jeopardy. Zehra Khan, Secretary General of the Home-Based Women Workers Federation described the construction of the six canal project as a "suicidal act" that would exacerbate the region's vulnerability to climate change. Academic Sajjad Zaheer expressed solidarity with Sindh's resistance against the six canal project and other infrastructural projects that harm the region's ecology. Zaheer recalled the historical struggles of Sindh against the Kalabagh Dam. Tabassum Khoso from the Imdad Foundation highlighted the growing environmental threat to coastal areas like Thatta and Sajawal. Fisherfolk Forum On International Rivers Day, March 14, a large number of fisherwomen and men, along with political and human rights activists participated in the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum's rally against Cholistan and other canals on the Indus River. The demand of the rally was No Canals, No Dams, and No Cuts on the Indus River. The protest started in Ibrahim Hyderi and ended at Mal Jetty. The Central General Secretary of Pakistan Fisherfolk Saeed Baloch, stated that the struggle of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum against the construction of six canals on the Indus River will continue. Rallies head to Kotri Barrage The Kotri barrage, the last engineering structure on the Indus River before it meets the Arabian sea, remained flooded on Friday albeit with the people who seemed up in arms to defend what they firmly believed to be their right on the river. Nationalist political parties, divergent groups of citizens and farmers organized separate rallies from Hyderabad and Jamshoro with the barrage being their convergence point. Protests and rallies were also taken out across the province on Friday with an unusually wider participation of the people who marked the international day of action for rivers by calling for an end to the project of building six more canals on the river. People showered rose petals at the river, paying tribute as well. "For over 150 years, Punjab's ruling elite has been exploiting Sindh's water by constructing canals and dams," alleged advocate Vasand Thari, president of Awami Tehreek, who led an over two kilometers walk to the barrage on Friday. Jeay Sindh Mahaz's Chairman Riaz Ali Chandio, who led his party's rally at the barrage, said people of Sindh won't allow feudal lords sitting in the provincial government to rob their right over the river. The Sindh Hari Committee's President Samar Hyder Jatoi argued that President Zardari's speech in which he rejected the canals also endorsed contention of the protesting people of Sindh that they foresee desertification in the province if the canals are fed the river's water.
Express Tribune
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Capitalism's greed destroying earth: speakers
KARACHI: Capitalism's relentless pursuit of profit has pushed the planet to the brink of disaster. The survival of life on Earth is now tied to the dismantling of this exploitative system. "Now or never" is the call under which the global struggle against environmental destruction has become an urgent necessity. These views were expressed by renowned intellectual Dr Asghar Dashti at a seminar titled "Workers in Peril: How Capitalism Fuels Climate Catastrophe and Exploitation" organised by the National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF). He was accompanied by NTUF general secretary Nasir Mansoor, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan's Sindh vice chairperson Khizar Qazi, NTUF additional general secretary Riaz Abbasi, and Home Based Women Workers Federation president Saira Feroz. Dr. Dashti warned that current science has failed to address these changes adequately, citing reports that predict Pakistan could face freshwater depletion by 2050. He explained that climate change is a direct consequence of fossil fuel burning over the past 500 years since the industrial era began, resulting in alarming temperature rises of 2.5-3 degrees Celsius. This has led to unprecedented climate-induced disasters and the emergence of more resilient diseases, with pharmaceutical companies profiting from the crisis. He strongly criticised COP28, pointing out the irony of its host country UAE's fossil fuel dependency and the appointment of ADNOC head Sultan al Jaber as chair-a company significantly contributing to greenhouse emissions. The conference, he noted, concluded without concrete pledges, merely promising to "think about reducing emissions" while continuing fossil fuel drilling. Mansoor, who moderated the event, highlighted the devastating coastal erosion in Pakistan, where the ocean devours 100 acres of land daily. He strongly condemned the federal government's 6 Canal Project, emphasizing how it neglects the needs of downstream communities in Sindh. He emphasised that the public, particularly the working class, often overlooks climate issues due to pressing economic and security concerns, despite their direct impact on lives and livelihoods. He noted the deterioration of Malir and Lyari rivers into untreated sewage channels flowing directly into the sea. Qazi emphasised that industries globally are responsible for 70% of climate change impacts. He warned about the loss of mangroves, mountain ecosystems, and ocean reefs, significantly affecting marine life and fish populations. The increasing frequency of droughts, extreme rains, and wildfires poses unprecedented challenges, with the working class bearing the brunt of these impacts. He emphasised the need to understand these issues and implement measures to reduce effects, including alternative energy sources. Other speakers noted that the International Labour Organization (ILO) predicts that by 2030, climate change could cost 80 million jobs, particularly affecting agriculture, construction, and textile industries. Extreme heat already causes 23 million occupational injuries and nearly 19,000 deaths annually, with 26.2 million people suffering from chronic kidney disease due to heat exposure at work. They said that Pakistan remains among the worst-affected countries by climate change. Recent floods, intensified by rapidly melting glaciers, have already demonstrated the devastating consequences.
