International Labour Day: NO MORE SILENCE, NO MORE DELAY — OUR RIGHTS TODAY

Hyderabad, May 1, 2025- To mark the International Labour Day, 2025 All Sindh Lady Health Workers and Employees Union (ASLHWEU) organised a walk and conference collaboration with Public Service International (PSI) and Workers Education and Research Organisation (WERO).

The conference was held in Dr N.A Baloch Hall. The speakers to the assembly along with participants of the rally laid out the problems lady health workers face in regards to poor working conditions and frugal amenities.

The speakers also listed a set of their demands from the government. They asserted that only on the fulfillment of their demands will their struggle culminate. Ms. Haleema Laghari (President of ASLHWEU), Shama Gullani (General Secretary, ASLHWEU), Mir Zulfiqar (General Secretary, WERO), Qazi Khizar (Vice Chairperson HRCP) and Jami Chandio (political activist).

The rally was attended by a large number of lady health workers, lady health supervisors, drivers, representatives of trade unions and CSOs from all over Sindh.

Lady Health Workers (LHWs) have been vital to Pakistan’s healthcare system since 1994, delivering vaccines and promoting maternal health at the grassroots level.

Despite their critical role, they remain underpaid and undervalued. Years of political and economic instability, worsened by climate disasters like the floods, have pushed Pakistan into deep debt. These austerity measures disproportionately harm workers like LHWs, who already earn meager wages.

Lady Health Workers deserve higher pay and essential benefits such as health insurance, social security, maternity leave, overtime, and gratuity.

https://www.dailyoutcome.pk/civil-society-demands-workers-rights-at-hyderabad-labour-day-rally/

Speakers emphasized that the absence of a clear service structure has left many workers in the same position for decades without promotion—a deeply demoralizing reality. They rightly called for a proper job scale that reflects both years of service and educational qualifications, ensuring dignity and fair growth in their careers.
Administering the polio vaccine has become dangerous, with workers facing violence, injuries, and even deaths. Speakers urged the government to ensure their security and compensate affected families.

They also condemned the push to privatize healthcare, warning it threatens workers’ rights, job security, and public access to essential services. The government must resist IMF pressure and halt privatization to protect both workers and the public.

Speakers categorically rejected the formation of canals of the Indus River, stating that the mighty river has been left dry and desolate through the formation of barrages, dams and canals.

This is the land of farmers and we don’t recognize the right of anyone to build canals or give away our lands to build to do corporate farming. It was demanded that plans to corporate farm Indus lands be thrown and those already allocated given back to landless farmers.

The collective demands of the speakers and participants boiled down to:
• Service structure should be promptly made
• Empty vacancies on the posts of lady health supervisors, lady health workers, drivers, and account supervisors should be filled.
• Lady health supervisors should be provided supervisory allowance and drivers be provided travelling allowance.
• Standardised pay across Sindh for polio workers
• Polio workers should be provided fool-proof security during campaigns; those injured or killed should be compensated.
• Workplace be made safe from incidences of sexual harassment.
• Government should ratify the ILO Convention C-190.
• Workers should be provided social security, gratuity, maternal leave, healthcare and pension.
• Privatisation and outsourcing of healthcare and other utility services should be stopped.
• Increased funding of the public healthcare sector.
• End corporate farming, protecting lands from being corporate farmed.
• Stop and reject the formation of canals on the River Indus
• Increase minimum wage to Rs/50,000

The participants of the rally and assembly along with organisers were seen determined to fight and struggle for their rights until all their demands are met.