"May first of each year is the day of special significance for the Government as well as for Pakistan People's Party as it is on this day that we revive our pledge to uphold the rights of the labourers and the working class and to never abandon them in their struggle for their rights-the right to have decent work, dignity, honour and, last but not the least, a rightful place in society."
President Asif Ali Zardari said this in a message issued here on Monday on the occasion of Labour Day being observed today (Tuesday) He said that both Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto struggled for the rights of the labourer and working class. Not only that the PPP derives its strength from the workers of Pakistan, we firmly believe that it is the labour and working class which is the backbone of any society and all claims of development remain meaningless until this vulnerable class is emancipated and rehabilitated, he added.
The present Government, following the footsteps of its great visionary leaders, has also taken some important practical steps to improve the conditions of the workers to guarantee them their dignity and rightful place in the society, Zardari added.
He said that promulgation of Industrial Relations Act, 2012, reinstatement of the sacked employees, regularisation of contract and daily wage earners, empowering the workers to seek legal remedies against any unlawful dismissals and restoration of trade union activities are some of the important milestones achieved by the Government while fulfilling the promise that we made to our labour class.
It is a matter of great satisfaction that a special scheme the Benazir Employees Stock Option Scheme has been launched by the Government for the welfare of the workers. The scheme which is offering 12% stock shares to workers in the state-owned enterprises has benefited five hundred thousand families. For the first time, workers have been made part of the national production process through ownership.
These, no doubt, are remarkable steps reflecting the Government's sincere efforts in improving the condition of the working class and protecting them form exploitation but the journey is not over yet, he maintained. It will continue till the time our workers secure their rightful place in the society and are fully protected through social, economic and political measures against all kinds of exploitation, he concluded.
APP ADDS: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said the democratic government is committed to bringing about a socio-economic revolution in the country in accordance with the vision of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
In a message on the occasion of Labour Day falling on May 1, the Prime Minister said, "Today is the 1st of May. The day is observed globally to pay tributes to the workers and labourers of Chicago for the sacrifices they rendered for attainment of their rights."
He said the concept of agricultural, industrial and socio- economic development is incomplete without contribution of labourers, workers and farmers. The global strides in industry and agriculture are owed to the hard work of labourers and farmers, he added.
He said Pakistan People's Party is fully aware of the farmers, labourers and workers role in the national development and has been strenuously engaged in efforts to bring about positive changes in their lives. "Our Shaheed leaders Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto considered the labourers and workers as an invaluable asset of the party. Shaheed Bhutto founded PPP on the slogan of welfare of the neglected sections of society and for the sake of carving out a respectable place for them in the social set-up," he added.
He said, "We believe that secret of any country's development lies in the value of hard work and its human resources. A society, which does not address the basic needs of its working classes, remains backward." Right from day one, the government has been committed to improving the standard of living of labourers and workers and it has taken a number of steps for provision of basic amenities such as education, housing and health, he added. The Prime Minister said Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto announced the first labour policy in 1972, which provided the working classes with social protection, justice, and old age benefit scheme.
Workers Welfare Fund was established for this purpose and the 1st of May was designated as the gazetted holiday, he continued. "In accordance with the manifesto of PPP, I announced the restoration of labour organisations upon assuming office. The democratic government launched a number of worker-friendly policies and schemes in order to ameliorate their lot. The Labour Policy introduced by the present government in 2010 raised the minimum wage of workers from Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000 per month," he added.
Gilani said the reinstatement of fired employees was ensured through Reinstatement Act 2010. The government also promulgated Industrial Relations Act 2012 for welfare of the workers and raised the old age pension ceiling at Rs 3,600.
The present democratic government made workers shareholders in the institutions for the first time in history and distributed official shares worth Rs 100 billion among half a million workers. The steps such as nomination of workers in the Board of Directors of the institutions will further empower the working classes, he added.
The Prime Minister said, "We are driven by the principles of democracy, equality and reconciliation and seek to establish a society where the deprived and under privileged sections of society have access to national resources. We are confident to achieve this objective with the support of the people of Pakistan." "On this May Day, let us reiterate our pledge to continue striving for welfare of the working classes in the country," he said.
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