Labour Day 1st May (Gazetted Holiday)

 

It was a shine & hot day of 1st May 2010 when I planned to go out with my friends Nadeem Pervaiz and Taimoor Khan to visit and celebrate this day with the community.

We come out of office and started our journey with my favorite Rocky Jeep. Nadeem was driving the Jeep and we three were enjoying. We had our lunch at Fazal Resturant (Ferozepur road Lahore). The we started again to find a place where we can see the labour community. About after 45 minutes drive we went a place where we find some laborers doing the construction work. 

It was first strange thing for me to see them at work   on Labour Day 1st May (Gazetted Holiday). I asked them that today is holiday and why you are working. Then Mr. Bagh Ali (standing above with me) replied, if we will celebrate this holiday then who will feed our family today. We will lose today's wage and have no savings from where we can eat today.

 And same replies came from other laborer fellows.I was continuously thinking about this holiday as it is called "Labour Day".

Moving from there after few minutes we reached at a brick kilns place, it was about 2:00 pm and day was hotter. But our Rocky Jeep was air conditioned and we were not feeling that much heat.

 We first went to master of brick kilns, introduced ourselves and the aim of visit. He offered us water and tea. Later we ask them to visit his laborers, and he happily allowed us.

When were going up to the place where clay bricks were making in fire the temperature of place was getting higher and higher  

After reaching at the place where laborers were working, we were shocked to see that some of them were working at that place without wearing shoes.

We asked the same question to those laborers that “today is your day and it is holiday, then why are you working?”

Salamat Ali, an old man replied very softly “It is my day but I cannot celebrate because I have to feed my family. If I will do holiday then who will pay me for today”

Till today, his statement is not forgotten and written on my heart.

Then we discussed and shared their other matters and again it was very strange thing for me to know that, they cannot change their profession and leave this job.

They have taken advances and loans for the marriages of their daughters and now bound to work there until they will not payback their advances.

Now Govt. of Pakistan is taking interests for the benefits of laborers and especial for brick kilns laborers. Govt. has imposed taxes on sale of bricks.

But the question is whether these laborers will be benefited as much as they can celebrate this day and can do holiday.