LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party Labour Bureau President Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmad, on Friday, strongly condemned the privatisation process, calling it open plunder, and vowed that labour organisations would continue resisting privatisation and fighting for workers’ rights without compromise under any circumstances.
Speaking at a seminar organised by PPP Lahore to mark Labour Day, Manzoor demanded that salaries be paid through bank accounts to ensure transparency.
The seminar was also addressed by PPP Lahore President Faisal Mir, General Secretary Dr Ayesha Shaukat, Organising Committee Convener Majeed Ghauri, President of the PPP Women’s Wing Lahore Nargis Khan, and PPP Lahore Mazdoor Forum President Mrs Mah Gul Abbas.
Expressing deep concern over the state of agriculture, Manzoor alleged that the sector was being deliberately weakened to generate cheap labour, calling the practice troubling and unjust. He revealed that only 2.2 million workers were registered under Social Security in Punjab, while the actual number of factory workers was being systematically concealed by employers.
Manzoor also made clear that the era of self-proclaimed office-bearers within the organisation was firmly over, directly addressing an incident in which PPP worker Syed Atir Shah allegedly attempted to disrupt the seminar by falsely claiming an official position within the Labour Bureau. He stressed that the organisation would no longer tolerate individuals assuming positions without legitimate grounds or genuine representation of the working class.
PPP Lahore President Faisal Mir announced that a formal worker registration drive would soon be launched at the PPP Lahore office. Through a dedicated registration desk, workers would be enrolled and provided with technical and professional training suited to the demands of the modern era, enabling them to secure dignified employment abroad and contribute to the national economy.
Mir added that the seminar’s primary purpose was to introduce the younger generation to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s historic contributions to Pakistan’s working class. He noted that during Bhutto’s tenure, thousands of Pakistani workers travelled to Europe and the Middle East for employment, and that the effects of that visionary initiative continue to benefit Pakistan’s economy to this day.
