Women Workers Help Line


WWHL & INTERNATIONAL LABOUR DAY

2006
A seminar was organized by WWHL in Lahore press Club in commemoration of International Labor day on 1st May 2006. The theme of the day was “Informal Economy and ILO C 177”. Azra Shad(Chairperson WWHL) presided the seminar while Munazza Ayyub (Joint secretary WWHL), Riffat Maqsood ((Senior vice chairperson WWHL ) Nazli Javed (Labour Party Pakistan), Razia Ansari (vice chairperson WWHL), Rukhsana Naz (Finance Secretary, WWHL), Jahan Ara (member and activist WWHL), Nusrat jahan (member WWHL Toba Tek Singh) and Bushra Khaliq(General Secretary WWHL) addressed the seminar. More than 200 working women, home based workers and civil society representatives attended the seminar. International Labor Day Rally A peaceful rally organized by Women Workers Help Line (WWHL) to mark International Labor Day in Lahore on 1st May 2006. The rally was led by WWHL activists Azra Shad, Riffat Maqsood, Bushra Khaliq, and Nazli Javed under the main banner of “Equal work equal wages”. Over 300 working class women from different districts of Punjab gathered to celebrate International Labor Day in Lahore. Women were enchanting slogans against privatization, discriminatory laws against women and the unrecognized labor of women in Pakistan.

2005
WWHL organized a seminar in commemoration of International Labor day in Lahore on 1st May 2005. Around 300 working class women were present at the occasion. Ms. Bushra Khaliq, Ms Azra Shad, Ms Jamila Bibi and Ms. Riffat Maqsood spoke at the occasion and highlight the purpose of the event and workers issues. The main purpose of the activity was to highlight the discriminatory laws and inappropriate labor policies for working women. Speakers also mentioned the effects of new liberal agendas and MNCs practices in the country. After the seminar all participants joined the big rally of labors and marched to Lahore high Court. International Labor Day Rally After the seminar, WWHL took out a big rally on International Labor Day from Press Club to Lahore High Court. Around 300 working class women from the remote areas of Lahore took part in the event. A large number of civil society organizations, political party members also participated in rally. The marchers enchanted slogans against the violence on women in the society. They also raised slogans against anti workers laws enforced in the country. They demanded for equal job opportunities, equal wages and gender sensitive working environment in Pakistan. Protesters also demanded for the immediate repeal of discriminatory laws in the country. They demanded to Government for women protection and their real economic empowerment. At the end of the rally Azra shad thanked all protesters on behalf of WWHL management and then participants dispersed peacefully.

2004
Women Workers help Line organized a seminar on “Globalization and Working women” at Shezan in connection with international Labor Day. Around 125 participants both female and male from all walks of life were present in the seminar. The Human rights activist Ms. Asma Jahangir said that exploitation of workers is continued even a century after the killings of Chicago workers struggling for their rights. She said the women continued to be discriminated in our society on every level. Cases were not assigned to the only woman judge at the Lahore High Court, who happened to be the senior most as well, due to the reason that she took the decisions by heart instead of her mind. The people of Pakistan continued to face problems on account of the alliance of the capitalists and feudal lords. She demanded that the return of the armed forces to barracks is necessary because their rule is against the norms of a civilized society. Liaqat Ali, another human rights activist said that women in Pakistan had nothing to fear from globalization because they were already the victims of the feudal attitude in society. Pakistan Social Forum Secretary, Irfan Mufti said the country was being run in an undemocratic manner since its creation. The rulers had never bothered to talk the welfare of 75 million farmers and 45 million workers, 80% of whom were living below the poverty line. He said that workers will suffer the most after globalization and because the vested interests kept them divided on different grounds. Begum Tahira Mazhar Ali Khan said the women are suffering on account of gender discrimination in our society. They are paid lower wages as compared to their male counterparts. Mr. Nadeem Fazil, Action Aid Pakistan said that capitalists wanted to deprive the workers of their rights in the name of globalization. He said globalization is meant only for the promotion and the benefits of the capitalist. Chairman, National Trade union Federation Yousuf Baloch, Sister Jennie View, Ghousia Hashmi, Mehboob Khan and Azra Shad also spoke at the occasion. International Labor Day Rally After the seminar on Globalization and workingwomen WWHL took out a rally from Shezan Restaurant to Regal under the main banner of Equal Work Equal wages. Around 150 women participated in the rally. The participants were holding placards and enchanted slogans for equal working rights to women in Pakistan.

2003
WWHL and Democratic Labor Front (DLF) jointly organized a seminar on 1st May 2003 at WWHL office as a mark of solidarity with the laborers of the world. The basic theme of the seminar was “1st May and women workers”. The main objective of the activity was to provide a platform where workingwomen feel confident to share their problems, suggestions and can raise their voice against suppression and exploitation at their respective workplaces. Bushra Khaliq presided over the seminar while Azra Shad was chief guest. Organizing Secretary DLF and Labor leader Yousuf baloach, President Pakistan Printing and graphic Workers Union, Shahid Mehmood, labor leader Javaid Iqbal Bhatti, Lady councilor Razia Ansari made speeches on this occasion. Azra Shad, Chairperson WWHL in her opening remarks said it is a crying need of the time to make a joint struggle against imperialism and globalization. In Pakistan, women workers are facing discrimination at all levels in presence of ILO convention. She further stated that women are also facing sexual harassment at work places, there are no equal rights for women and this situation is even worst in private and informal sectors. She criticized labor laws, labor policies and said that in the presence of these laws working women are continuously denied their basic health facilities, better and equal wages. WWHL is a women organization, which is struggling to organize working class women, and to fight against all kinds of discrimination and suppression in the country, she added. Giving suggestion on the occasion, Labor leader Yousuf Baloach said that the nature of problems faced by the working men and women are similar in both sections. We can resolve these problems with effective coordination between both sections. Through this, workingmen and women are provided an opportunity to share their problems on the same platform. He appreciated WWHL initiative for conducting the seminar. He said that Labor unity leads us the way to struggle. United struggle and joint efforts are the best way to fight for the laborers’ due rights and trade union rights, he added. Today is the day of laborers and we should make pledge to forge unity among our ranks in order to continue struggle stared by the laborers of Chicago, decades ago. He also said let us fight together against feudalism, globalization and Multi national companies, who are sucking the blood of the poor classes. At the end of the seminar, Bushra Khaliq said that May Day reminds us to accelerate the struggle for working class women and specially working women. We must think about ways and means that how could women organize themselves for their rights. The mal situation of laborers demands us that we must organize ourselves at all levels so that we could be able to fight against such imposed discriminatory labor laws that always pamper feudalism and weaken the laborers overall socio-economic condition. Labor laws are totally failed to create labor friendly environment that’s why our labor is getting poorer day by day. Unity within workers is the only weapon against the vested interests of feudal, multi national companies and industrialists, she opined. She demanded the Govt. to implement all ILO convention in letter and spirit. All repressive and discriminatory laws should be repealed and all forms of exploitation at workplaces should be stopped immediately, she added. At the end of the seminar all the participants marched on the road. More than one hundred of working and household women took part in the rally.

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