Workers across Pakistan's Balochistan and Sindh provinces took to the streets on 1 May 2025 to mark International Labour Day, staging rallies, demonstrations, and awareness campaigns demanding fair wages, improved working conditions, job security, and access to social protection systems, according to local media reports including Dawn.

Key Demands Raised Across Balochistan

In Quetta and several other parts of Balochistan, workers from different sectors participated in events led by trade unions, labour associations, and civil society organisations. Speakers at these gatherings emphasised the urgent need for implementing existing labour laws and ensuring workers receive their due rights without discrimination or delay.

Workers expressed serious concerns over rising inflation, unemployment, and the absence of adequate safety measures in many workplaces. They urged the government to take concrete steps to address these challenges and implement policies that prioritise the welfare and dignity of the labour force.

Sindh Rallies: 96% of Workers Remain Vulnerable

In Sindh, labourers, trade unions, and political leaders held rallies, seminars, and public meetings, highlighting challenges faced by workers and demanding urgent reforms in both formal and informal sectors.

At a gathering held at the Arts Council, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro said the government must ensure that all workers are registered and provided their due rights. He stated that nearly 96 per cent of workers in Sindh, including women, remained vulnerable, according to Dawn. Khuhro also flagged that unemployment was rising and that around 5,000 industries in Sindh alone had shut down, demanding their revival.

Karachi March: Contract Labour System Under Fire

Separately, workers joined by journalists, teachers, and lawyers marched from Regal Chowk to the Karachi Press Club, carrying red flags and banners. The rally was organised by the National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF) and the Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF).

Protesters called for an end to the contract labour system, withdrawal of the fuel price rise, and payment of a living wage in place of the current minimum wage, Dawn reported. They also demanded written job contracts, social security, pensions, and the right to form unions. Speakers criticised privatisation and outsourcing, arguing these policies had weakened job security and increased exploitation of workers.

Women Workers Raise Specific Grievances

A separate rally organised by the All Lady Health Workers Programme Union saw participation of women workers from Sindh, who raised specific concerns including the lack of a defined service structure, low wages, pension shortfalls, harassment, and unequal pay. Union leaders stated that women workers faced compounded challenges within an already fragile labour framework.

This year's Labour Day demonstrations reflect a deepening crisis of worker welfare in Pakistan, with economic pressures, industrial closures, and policy gaps continuing to erode labour rights — a situation that is unlikely to ease without structural intervention from the federal and provincial governments.