Various unions and human rights activists rally in Karachi to mark Labour Day

Описание: (1 May 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Karachi, Pakistan – 1 May 2026
1. Various of National Trade Union Federation Pakistan rally on Labor Day, chanting pro-labor slogans UPSOUND (Urdu): “End the contract system for laborers” and “Red salute to the laborers of Chicago”
2. Protesters carrying a placard reading: “Long live the Iranian people’s struggle against imperialism and for democracy”
3. Various of protesters marching and chanting UPSOUND (Urdu): “Stop killing of women in the name of honor”
4. Protester carrying a placard reading (Urdu): “Employers involved in anti-labor practices should be prosecuted”
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Zehra Khan, trade union activist:
“We are marking International Labor Day. The basic demand is to end the third-party contractual system, which is creating a dangerous situation as informal work continues to grow. Workers should have appointment letters and be registered for social security and pension schemes, which is why we are marching today.”
6. Various of protesters marching, carrying banners and flags, chanting for stronger labor laws
7. Various of women chanting: “Friends of feudal lords are traitors”
8. Cutaway of placard reading (Urdu): “We do not accept the rule of expensive bread and cheap blood”
9. SOUNDBITE (Urdu) Qazi Khizar, vice chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan:
“In Pakistan, there are 26 million out-of-school children, around 90 percent of whom are from poor and laboring families. All workers have the right to health insurance and should be registered with social protection institutions.”
10. Protesters chanting UPSOUND (Urdu): “Long live laborers”
11. Various of protesters carrying banners reading: “Our demand: social security and pensions for all”
STORYLINE:
Labor organizations and human rights activists rallied in Karachi on Friday, carrying banners and placards as they marked Labor Day with demands for social security, health care and education for workers.

Protesters marched and chanted slogans against contract labor systems and anti-labor practices, with banners calling for stronger enforcement of labor laws and protections for workers.

“Our basic demand is that we want end of third party contractual system,” said trade union activist Zehra Khan. “Because it is very dangerous situation… where the informalization is increasing everywhere.”

Participants also called for enforcement of labor laws and formal recognition of workers’ rights.

“It is very important the workers should have appointment letters, they should be registered with social security scheme and pension scheme, so that is why we are marching today,” Khan said.

Protesters also demanded better access to health care and education for workers’ families.

“In Pakistan, 26 million out-of-school children… around 90 percent are children of poor and laborers,” said Qazi Khizar, vice chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

“All laborers have the right to health insurance and should be registered with social protection institutions.”

Placards at the rally included slogans calling for an end to contract labor, prosecution of employers involved in anti-labor practices and solidarity with international labor movements.

May 1 is observed in many countries as International Workers’ Day, or Labor Day, when unions traditionally rally around wages, pensions and working conditions.

AP video by Muhammad Manaf and production by Muhammad Farooq

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