Lahore: The women workers help line (WWHL) on Thursday organized a seminar and a rally in connection with May Day activities.

According to a press release issued here on Thursday, the rally started form Mehfil Auditoriam, Mcleod Road and after passing through lakhmi chowk it merged into the other labor rallies at GPO chowk, which is traditional convergence point of all workers rallies in the city.

About 1,000 women workers along with their children joined the rally in the scorching heat. The participants chanted slogans in favor of workers right all the way to the GPO chowk.

The rally led by Bushra khaliq, WWHL General Secretary, and Azra shad, WWHL Chairperson, were carrying banners and placards inscribed with their demands. The main banner demanded formulation of a law to recognize the home-based women workers.

The participants also raised slogans against the contract system. After demonstrating there for about an hour the participants of the rally dispersed peacefully.

The rally was followed by a seminar on the topic “Home-based workers and their problems.”

Addressing the seminar Bushra khaliq said the Home- baised workers were in the pathetic condition as there was no law to protect their rights. “Their wages are shamefully low against the quality of their work. The working conditions are miserable and there is no concept of minimum wage for these workers”, she said.

These workers contributed a lot to the country’s economy but their labor was recognized and they were never counted in the labor statistics, she deplored. She demanded of the government to rectify the ILO convention 177 and introduce social security for the home- based workers.

Azra shad speaking on the occasion said there were about 10 million home-based workers in Pakistan, but their work was totally invisible as they worked at their home, mostly in shanty towns and suburban areas.” These workers are not organized and thus become easy prey to exploitation by the contractors and the middle men”, she added. She demanded of the government to enact law to protect the rights of these women workers.

Yousaf Bloch, chairman national trade union federation, addressing the seminar said no country could make progress without recognizing the contribution of its women. He congratulated the WWHL for organizing the women workers and promoting the cause of the home- based workers.

Revolutionary songs, radical poetry and colorful puppet show were also part of the seminar. Baba Najmi and Afzal Sahar recited their poetry while Mehvish Jafri sang some songs on the occasion.

(The Nation)