This year International Workers Day or May Day is being observed across the world amid lockdowns in most of countries due to Pandemic Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).
“Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!” has been a famous slogan of Marx, which the workers of the world adopted and it became the main slogan during May Day rallies across the world. But this year those rallies are not going to happen due to COVID-19 lockdowns.
One can recall that International Workers’ Day is observed on the first of May every year to remember the Haymarket affair, which occurred in Chicago. The Haymarket affair riot was the aftermath of a bombing that took place at a labour demonstration on May 4, 1886, at Haymarket Square in Chicago.
“Eight-hour day with no cut in pay” was the popular slogan of the Chicago workers.
In 1904 the 6th Conference of the Second International called on “all Social Democratic Party organisations and trade unions of all countries to demonstrate energetically on the First of May for the legal establishment of the 8-hour day, for the class demands of the proletariat, and for universal peace.
Besides Pakistan, the first of May is a national, public holiday in many countries across the world, in most cases as “Labour Day”, “International Workers’ Day” or some similar name. It is interesting to note that some countries celebrate Labour Day on other dates significant to them, such as the United States and Canada celebrate their Labour Day on the first Monday of September.
Trade unions and labour-supporting organisations throughout Pakistan organise seminars, rallies and parades where union leaders deliver speeches emphasizing the history of Labour Day and its importance. In Karachi, for many years, the main function is held at Karachi Press Club where trade unions, workers' wings of political parties, journalists unions and other labour organisations gather and their leaders address the seminars or conferences.
A night before the May Day a lamp/candle rally was held every year in support of Pearl Continental Hotel Karachi’s workers from Karachi Press Club to Shaheen Complex.
Representatives of various trade unions, civil society, lawyers, teachers, human rights organizations and other workers have been joining the rally in solidarity with workers. The fight for union rights at the Karachi hotel began in September 2001, when management announced that due to a decline in bookings it would sack all casual and temporary workers and eliminate one day of paid work per week for permanent staff.
The management fired 350 workers without informing the union. The dismissal letters were published in a daily newspaper on November 8, and the workers were barred from entering the hotel when they reported for work the next day.
More than 40 permanent employees, including union officers, were then brutally sacked for defending the rights of the dismissed workers. In 2002, the management arranged for leaders of the union to be falsely accused of crimes. Three union leaders spent more than two months in prison on fabricated charges without a single piece of evidence ever being produced. Since then the issue is still unresolved. The Sindh labour department had attempted to solve the issue, but it remains unresolved due to the adamant attitude of the PC management.
This year’s May Day is unusual in the history of the labour movement as the workers are unable to observe as they are simultaneously hard-hit because of the prolonged lockdown since March 23 as most of the industries and businesses are completely or partially shut down and many companies have started laying off their employees due to closure of markets, transport and shipping services and shopping markets.
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Although Sindh government has issued a notification barring the industries from laying off their workers and making payment of wages for the month of March, some industries have still not followed the government orders and removed services of many of their workers. Others owners have not paid even March’s salaries.
Now the issue of payment of wages for April and May months is still unresolved as industries have refused to pay further due to no work during April. Although the State Bank of Pakistan has offered a special package for the industries and businesses to get loans on very discounted rats from banks to pay salaries to their staff. This 4-5 percent markup loan is payable with softer terms.
Pakistan with an estimated labour force of 61 million was already facing economic hardships due to widening trade gap as its imports are double than export proceeds. This situation further worsened during the last two years as the the new government of Prime Minister Imran Khan has failed to improve the economy. It has massively devalued Pakistan currency and impose curbs on imported goods. This has improved the situation of trade deficit but local industries have suffered due to tight economic polices and tax regimes. The COVID_19 crisis has further aggravated the economy’s situation as the international financial institutions predict a negative growth in Gross Domestic Produce (GDP) during the next fiscal year. This year’s growth would be less than 2 percent.
