Each year, Pakistan observed International Labour Day with national fervor, honouring the dedication, sacrifices, and hard work of the labour force that drives the country’s economic engine to prosperity.
From the mountainous valleys of Chitral to the bustling ports of Karachi, and from Kashmir to Gwadar, the labourers marked the day with rallies, demonstrations, and awareness walks. These events commemorated the contributions of countless labourers – including those who lost their lives in hazardous working conditions – toward Pakistan’s development and prosperity.
May 1 is a public holiday across Pakistan, with Federal and provincial governments declaring official closures for government, semi-government, and private institutions. The day is rooted in the memory of the 1886 Chicago labour movement, where workers demanding an eight-hour workday were brutally suppressed.
In solidarity, over 80 countries, including Pakistan, observe the day to recognize the vital role of labourets in nation-building.
However, while the country commemorated the occasion, for labourers like Abad Khan, a 35-year-old wheat harvester from Nowshera, the day passed like any other.
Unaware of its significance, Abad worked tirelessly to complete wheat harvesting on eight acres of land before an incoming rainstorm. Assisted by his brothers Amanat, Mustafa, and Mahboob Khan, and three fellow labourers, Abad works on a fixed-rate contract of Rs20,000 per acre that covers wheat cutting, threshing, and storage.
Known locally as “Kala Khan,” he shoulders the responsibility of supporting a six-member household amid rising inflation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
After losing his father, Shamas Khan, Abad was forced to abandon his studies after matriculation. He’s since worked in construction, agriculture, transport, and street vending to make ends meet. His modest general store was destroyed in the 2022 floods along the Kabul River, forcing him to buy a rickshaw with borrowed money to pay for his father’s medical bills and shop damages.
“My dream was to own a tractor-thresher,” he says, “but financial hardship made it impossible. I urge the government to offer interest-free loans so workers like me can start our own businesses.”
Like Abad, thousands of labourers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are engaged in agriculture, mining, construction, and other sectors forming the backbone of Pakistan’s economy. Labour law expert Noman Bokhari advocate said Labour Day is not just about symbolic recognition but it is a moment to educate workers about their legal rights and protections.
“The 1973 Constitution of Pakistan enshrines the rights of workers,” he noted, “including the right to unionize, communicate, assemble, and secure fair employment.”
As a founding member of the International Labour Organization (ILO) since 1947, Pakistan has ratified 36 ILO conventions – eight of which are considered fundamental. These form the legal framework for worker protections, including safety, wages, benefits, and welfare.
In a bid to improve living conditions, Director of the Provincial Housing Authority (PHA), Waqas Anjum, said that more than 2,000 flats have been constructed in Labour City Regi Lalma, Peshawar, for industrial workers. Sanitation, water, and infrastructure upgrades have also been carried out in the Mardan Labour Colony, 6,500 kanals of land in Peshawar, 560 kanals in Swat, 377 kanals in Charsadda, and 8,300 kanals in Hangu were earmarked for housing development of labourers and general public.
In Nowshera’s Jalozai housing scheme, 9,000 housing units are under construction, including 1,300 flats dedicated to labourers. Another 8,000 low-cost housing units are being developed in Surizai, Peshawar, as part of a joint venture between the PHA Foundation and KP government.
Similar efforts are underway in Swat, where the Danigram Project includes special quotas for widows, people with disabilities, and media workers.
PHA is also constructing high-rise residential buildings at Nishtarabad, Warsak-I and II, and Hayatabad, Peshawar, offering a combined total of 900 flats, many of which are reserved for the working class.
A one window facilitation desk at Bacha Khan International Airport started providing assistance to overseas Pakistanis through representatives from 13 key departments, including NADRA, Immigration, and the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation. Additionally, under a new government initiative, children of overseas Pakistanis receive fee assistance for international universities, and housing schemes like the one at Budhni Road, Peshawar spanning 991 kanals offer affordable residential and commercial plots.
The new labour policy includes a 400% increase in minimum wages, job regularization for temporary workers, and restoration of sacked employees, marking a significant shift toward greater labour welfare.
As Pakistan marks Labour Day, it is a reminder that behind the nation’s growth are millions of hands like Abad Khan’s – hardworking, determined, and hopeful. The experts said recognizing their sacrifices must go beyond symbolic events and sustainable policies for their welfare access to quality education, healthcare, housing, and financial tools for their families are vital in building a truly equitable and progressive society.
