May Day rally demands rights for women workers.

KARACHI -- A big rally of home-based women workers on the occasion of International Labor Day here Wednesday demanded giving all due rights as per labor laws to the home-based women workers.

According to details, Home-based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) staged a big 'women workers rally' on the occasion of the 133rd Labor Day here Wednesday. Led by Saba Edhi of Edhi Foundation and Zahra Khan, the founder and central general secretary of HBBWF, the rally started from the Regal Chowk and culminated at the Karachi Press Club (KPC). This was the first time that women workers had arranged their own rally in Karachi on the Labor Day.

Addressing the rally, Zahra Khan said that in Pakistan the workers of organized labor sector are facing huge exploitation, while the workers of informal sector including home-based workers are toiling in virtually inhuman conditions. She said that in Pakistan there is estimated 68million labor force, ad 70percent of it belong to the informal sector, who are deprived of their due rights. She said more than 1.25 Crore workers are in the home-based sector, 80percent of them are women. These workers generate about Rs400million annually for national economy.

Home-based Women Bangle Workers Union leader Shakeela Khan said that majority of our factories and industries have become sweat houses. Their workers are not given appointment letters and they are not registered with social security institutions. Contract labor is rampant. Workers are not allowed to form their trade unions and majority of political parties do not raise voice for the rights of workers. Labor department is not interested to resolve their issues. There is only one option for these workers to get their rights, which is to become united and organized, she said.

Saba Faisal Edhi of Edhi Foundation said that the struggle of women workers is praiseworthy. She stressed women to participate in the struggle for their rights and be an active...