RAWALAKOT (Kashmir English): A massive rally on Labour Day was organised in Rawalakot under the banner of the All Employees Confederation. The event marked the international day dedicated to workers’ rights and saw widespread participation from various departments, student organisations, and labour unions.
The rally on Labour Day commenced at College Ground and concluded in the Kachehri premises, where a public gathering was held. Men and women employees from different government sectors joined the protest in large numbers. They raised slogans in tribute to the martyrs of Chicago and voiced their concerns over the ongoing challenges faced by the working class.
Among the key groups participating were the Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation, Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign, and People’s Revolutionary Front, along with several other student and labour organisations.
District General Secretary of Technical Staff, Sardar Daud Rafiq, conducted the session. Prominent speakers at the gathering included Dr Khalid Mahmood, Patron-in-Chief of the All Employees Confederation; Sardar Khurshid Khan, President; Sardar Imtiaz Khan, President of APCA; and Lali Qayoom, Central Secretary General of Technical Staff.
Other notable leaders who addressed the gathering were Altamash Tasadduq of the Adhoc Workers Movement, Haleem Sajid of the PRF, Badr Rafiq of NSF Study Circle, Safia Begum from Health Employees, and Sabia Akhtar of the Private Teachers Organisation.
The rally on Labour Day also featured speeches from Yasir Irshad of the RCP, SM Arif, Talib Bashir, SM Zahid, Mansoor Shafiq, Sardar Irshad Khan, Faiz Ahmed, Sheikh Zulfiqar, Ijaz Shahsawar and others.
Speakers condemned the violence and arrests of MNCH employees, along with recent incidents of state brutality against health workers in Lahore. They demanded that all legitimate demands of the protesting workers be met and expressed strong solidarity with the labour struggles across Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir.
Participants called on the government of Azad Kashmir to address the pressing concerns of its employees and vowed to continue their movement until their Charter of Demands is accepted.
The rally on Labour Day also honoured the historical legacy of the Chicago martyrs, who sacrificed their lives for the right to an eight-hour workday and a fair minimum wage. The speakers emphasised that while these rights were won after decades of struggle, they are now under threat once again.
They also highlighted that the struggle for fair wages and working hours in Jammu and Kashmir dates back to 1865, 21 years before the Chicago movement, and vowed to carry this legacy forward until final success is achieved.
The rally on Labour Day concluded with a strong commitment to continue the struggle for workers’ rights beyond symbolic protests, aiming instead for real solutions and the establishment of true workers’ rule.
