In a powerful display of unity, labor leaders from across Pakistan have sworn to combat all efforts to split their ranks along ethnic or linguistic lines. This collective resolve was the central theme of a significant Labor Conference held on Sunday at the Karachi Export Processing Zone in Landhi.
A United Front Against Division
The event, organized by the National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF), drew thousands of workers from diverse sectors. A notable presence was a large contingent of women from the Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF). Presided over by NTUF Sindh President, Comrade Gul Rahman, the conference became a platform for strong critiques of the current state of workers' rights.
NTUF General Secretary Nasir Mansoor delivered a stark assessment, declaring that workplaces from 'Khyber to Karachi had turned into slaughterhouses.' He accused the institutions meant to protect laborers of becoming servants to capitalist interests.
Condemnation of Unsafe Conditions and Unjust Laws
Veteran labor leader Habibuddin Junaidi took aim at the widely promoted Punjab development model, stating that the recent Faisalabad tragedy had revealed its devastating consequences for workers. He stressed that without fundamental workplace safety, fair wages, and socio-economic justice, any talk of development is a mere illusion.
HBWWF President Saira Feroz pointed a finger directly at the textile and garment sector. She accused factories that supply international brands of prioritizing profit over the welfare of their employees. Despite the global fashion trade being projected to grow to $1.5 trillion, she lamented that the workers fueling this boom are systematically denied their basic rights.
Building a Political Alternative and Regional Solidarity
Representing the youth organisation Alternate, Comrade Aqib Hussain called on Pakistan's 90 million-strong working class to break away from political parties serving elite interests. He urged them to construct a new political force grounded in the real struggles of workers.
Riaz Abbasi, NTUF Sindh General Secretary and SITE Labour Forum leader, issued a warning about a coordinated attempt across South Asia to dismantle 150 years of hard-won labor rights. He vowed that workers would fiercely resist this campaign, which is being advanced under the guise of a new labor code.
The conference also expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine and Venezuela and announced a major protest in Karachi for mid-December. This protest will target anti-worker legislation and efforts to divide Sindh.
The key demands that emerged from the conference included:
- Improved workplace safety measures
- Written appointment letters for all workers
- Strict implementation of the minimum wage
- An end to workplace harassment and recognition of union rights
- Mandatory Social Security and EOBI registration
- Abolition of the contract labor system
- Outright rejection of the draft Labour Code 2025
Speakers further called for the enforcement of ILO-ratified conventions, an end to immunity for influential groups, and the protection of the NFC Award and 18th Amendment. They also demanded compensation for the families affected by the Faisalabad factory tragedy.
