Sir: Mere declaration of a holiday on a specific day cannot help solve the problems of labourers. It also does not assure the protection of their rights. The constitution of Pakistan contains many provisions regarding labour rights, found in Part II: Fundamental Rights and Principles of Policy. Article 11 of the constitution prohibits all forms of slavery, forced labour and child labour. Likewise Article 37 (e) states provision for securing just and humane conditions of work, ensuring that children and women are not employed in vocations unsuited to their age or sex. Besides these, there are many other expressed and implied rights of labourers recognised in the constitution. Unfortunately, none of the aforementioned rights are protected in their complete form. These rights are very often violated by the citizens, institutions, industrialists, landlords and even by the government. In common practice, minors and women are found working in places where they are not supposed to work. Labourers are paid less than half of what they deserve. In many places they are treated worse than animals by being forced to work. To properly celebrate Labour Day, we should step into their shoes for a day. Let us try picking up litter from university grounds or cleaning the floors of our office or carrying a heavy load and walking some distance. Doing this will surely not remove any of their hardships but it will at least make us realise how difficult a life this class of our society leads. MARYAM HAFEEZ Islamabad