Labor Day is celebrated on May 1st and commemorates the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago, United States of America, where many workers lost their lives fighting for eight-hour workdays. In response to this historical event, Pakistan has adopted this day as a public holiday. Every year, newspapers across the country display a picture of a laborer carrying bricks in the scorching heat, a kiln worker with a miserable expression, a security guard on the brink of exhaustion, or a sanitary worker staring at the camera lens with lifeless eyes. However, although it is a widely recognized holiday, most daily-wage laborers are still put to work. Pakistan’s labor laws are seen as abysmal, as there is little to no protection for labor rights and an absence of unions, which leaves laborers vulnerable and subject to exploitation. Unfortunately, Labor Day is merely symbolic and used by politicians to make empty promises, once again highlighting the ways in which laborers in Pakistan have been denied their rights and are exposed to worsening working conditions.

According to the World Bank, the total labor force in Pakistan in 2022 was 7.89 million, yet most laborers lack basic legal rights such as social security and pensions. Furthermore, the erosion of trade unions in the country has seen no end. In Pakistan, the percentage of trade unions has depleted from 25 percent to just 1 percent in 2023. Trade unions serve as an intermediary between employers and laborers to help them work harmoniously while regulating wages and working conditions. Employers have forbidden laborers from forming unions to counteract this, and established trade unions have been side-lined. Laborers in Pakistan deal with numerous challenges, from unsafe working conditions to low wages and lack of legal protection. Sadly, these issues are difficult to address due to the complexities of Pakistan’s socio-economic system. Laborers are paid a minimum wage; in most cases, laborers are often paid less, which renders them unable to meet their daily expenses, let alone support their families. These desperate conditions make laborers (the majority of laborers being men) vulnerable to exploitation.  

Labor has been regarded as a provincial issue since the 18th Amendment was added to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s Constitution in 1973. Despite being an active member of the International Labor Organization (ILO) since 1947 and ratifying 36 ILO Conventions, including eight Fundamental Organizations, Pakistan has not borne success in implementation. All provinces of the country have different laws regarding labor, which serves as a breeding ground for exploitative practices by employers. Therefore, labor laws in Pakistan need reform to ensure the rights and mental and physical well-being of both ‘blue collar’ and ‘white collar’ workers. Overall, the physical and mental health of all workers in Pakistan must be considered. Laborers are often exposed to unsafe, unpleasant, and unhygienic working conditions, leaving them vulnerable to disease with little to no access to healthcare. Feeling condemned to a life of poverty and debt, research by Macrotrends revealed revealed that the suicide rate in Pakistan has increased, sitting at 8.9 percent in 2019, and has risen dramatically in the past four years.

In order to bring about much-needed change for the betterment of laborers in Pakistan, collective action is required from the government and civil society, which includes setting a livable wage so that laborers can sustain themselves and their families, creating safeguarding mechanisms to ensure the safety of laborers, prioritizing training and skill development, and raising awareness so that employees and laborers are aware of labor laws. It is also important to formalize trade unions and encourage their role as third-party mediators that help to regulate and uphold lawful labor practices. Our societal progress hinges on ensuring fair treatment, equitable conditions, and the holistic well-being of every worker. Through concerted efforts, we can transform Labor Day from a mere symbol into a catalyst for genuine, positive change in the lives of those whose tireless efforts form the backbone of our society.

Saaremeen Fatima