Daily Times

A big rally of home-based women workers on the occasion of International Labor Day here Wednesday demanded giving all due rights as per labor laws to the home-based women workers.

According to details, Home-based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) staged a big ‘women workers rally’ on the occasion of the 133rd Labor Day here Wednesday. Led by Saba Edhi of Edhi Foundation and Zahra Khan, the founder and central general secretary of HBBWF, the rally started from the Regal Chowk and culminated at the Karachi Press Club (KPC). This was the first time that women workers had arranged their own rally in Karachi on the Labor Day.

Addressing the rally, Zahra Khan said that in Pakistan the workers of organized labor sector are facing huge exploitation, while the workers of informal sector including home-based workers are toiling in virtually inhuman conditions. She said that in Pakistan there is estimated 68million labor force, ad 70percent of it belong to the informal sector, who are deprived of their due rights. She said more than 1.25 Crore workers are in the home-based sector, 80percent of them are women. These workers generate about Rs400million annually for national economy.

Home-based Women Bangle Workers Union leader Shakeela Khan said that majority of our factories and industries have become sweat houses. Their workers are not given appointment letters and they are not registered with social security institutions. Contract labor is rampant. Workers are not allowed to form their trade unions and majority of political parties do not raise voice for the rights of workers. Labor department is not interested to resolve their issues. There is only one option for these workers to get their rights, which is to become united and organized, she said.

Home-based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) staged a big rally on the occasion of the 133rd Labor Day

Saba Faisal Edhi of Edhi Foundation said that the struggle of women workers is praiseworthy. She stressed women to participate in the struggle for their rights and be an active part of social change.

The rally participants demanded that social security of home-based workers should be ensured including giving them facilities of healthcare, education, jobs and pension. They should be registered with labor department and their employers and contractors should also be registered.

They asked that discrimination in wages on the basis of gender should be ended and there should be same wages for same work. All discriminatory laws against women should be abolished and workplace harassment of women should be ended.

They demanded that government should stop taking dictation from IMF. Sacked workers including media workers should be reinstituted and their dues paid to them. Cuts in salaries of media workers should be stooped and timely payment of their salaries should be ensured. Women workers should be given maternity leaves as per law. Contract labor system should be ended. The right of workers to make trade unions and elect CBAs should be accepted. Privatization of state-run entities be ended and the ministry of privatization should be closed.

The rally participants demanded that all missing persons including political, social and media workers should be recovered and those involved in their missing should be punished as per law. Agricultural reforms should be introduced and government lands should be distributed amongst landless Haris. Sexual violence on Hindu Hari women should be ended and their forced conversion should be stopped.

Sajjida Kausar of HBWWF, Jameela Latif from Home-based Women Bangle Workers Union, Kausar Nissa from Shahpur Chakar and others also spoke.