We have repairs going on at our place and seeing the labourers showing up every day hauling bags of cement and bricks made me think that these men wake at sunrise at city chowks, backs already sore and eyes fixed on contractors, hoping for one day’s work. Brick by brick and sack by sack, they build the roads we commute on daily, buildings we work or study in and the homes we live in. Their lives are spent under the blazing sun, breathing in dust, with cracked hands and no safety net. No future security in terms of medical benefits or pension.
The June 2026 budget raised the minimum wage to Rs40,700. However, for most labourers, that is just a number on paper. There are several localities where the contractors are still paying them Rs20,000-Rs 25,000, if work shows up at all. So they keep lifting, keep sweating and keep choosing dignity over despair, even when their wages cannot keep up with the cost of roti.
Basma F Malik
Rawalpindi
