MUZAFFARABAD (Kashmir English): Labour Day is being observed today across Pakistan and the world to honour the struggles and sacrifices of workers. However, despite the public holiday, a large number of labourers continue to work to earn a living and put food on the table for their families.
May 1 is globally recognised as Labour Day, but for countless daily wage workers in Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the day begins like any other. As the sun rises, they leave their homes, not to rest, but to work hard under the scorching sun to earn a day’s wage. They work hard, like any other day to put food on the table, feed their families and get by another day of underpaid labour, just to repeat the rather grim cycle the next day.
Whether it’s extreme heat or harsh weather, these labourers push through the day with determination, hoping that their evening wage will be enough to keep the kitchen fires burning at home. Their efforts continue despite facing low pay, limited rights, and a lack of attention from the authorities.
The workers who experience both the extreme heat and difficult conditions continue to worry about their employment rights together with wages. Multiple voices in the workforce display dissatisfaction about the government’s treatment of their enduring difficulties. Workers have legal protection through existing laws but weak enforcement allows many workers to perform two times their tasks while receiving incomplete payment.
The government must enforce current labour laws according to labour leaders while ensuring complete protection for workers’ rights. The working class faces increasing challenges because of inflation and economic stress which the leaders identify as major societal issues.
Labour Day has its roots in the American city of Chicago, where, on 1 May 1886, thousands of workers protested against exploitation by capitalists and industrialists. Instead of listening to their demands, police opened fire on the peaceful demonstrators, killing hundreds.
Dozens of others were arrested and later executed. This tragic event became a symbol of workers’ resistance, and since then, Labour Day has been observed worldwide to honour their memory and struggles.
In Pakistan, the official observance of Labour Day began in 1973 when former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto introduced policies to support workers’ rights.
While Labour Day serves as a reminder of the historical fight for fair treatment and dignity, it also exposes the present-day reality, that many labourers in Pakistan cannot afford to take the day off and continue working out of sheer necessity.
