Muhammad Usman Amin

PESHAWAR: On International Labor Day, the story of Sabir Rahman offers a powerful glimpse into resilience and dignity under extreme conditions. Working long shifts in a pipe factory in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar, where temperatures can soar to 50&deg;C (122&deg;F), Rahman endures intense physical strain far from his eight children. Yet, despite the hardship, he finds a deep sense of peace at the end of each day, knowing his labor is honest and supports his family. His story reflects the quiet strength of millions of workers worldwide whose sacrifices often go unseen, highlighting both the human cost of labor and the enduring value of perseverance.

Workers at a pipe manufacturing factory in Peshawar on April 30th. (Photo: Pakistan TV Digital)

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Sabir Rahman works at a pipe factory where temperatures reach 50°C. With eight children at home, he says he misses them daily, but finds peace after each shift, having earned an honest living for his family.

Pakistani factory worker finds peace amid extreme heat and hardship

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday marked International Labor Day with renewed pledges to protect workers&rsquo; rights, improve working conditions, and expand economic opportunities, as leadership paid tribute to the nation&rsquo;s labor force. President stresses dignity of labor, constitutional protectionsIn a message issued by the Press Information Department (PID), President Asif Ali Zardari acknowledged the struggle of workers, saying their sacrifices &quot;laid the foundation of modern labor rights&quot; through demands for fair wages, reasonable working hours, and dignified conditions. Recalling the origins of Labor Day, he referenced the 19th-century Chicago movement, where workers&nbsp;&quot;refused to be treated as machines,&quot; and&nbsp;demanded eight-hour work shifts. The statement said Pakistan&rsquo;s Constitution guarantees protection against exploitation, noting that Article 3 commits the state to &quot;eliminating all forms of exploitation&quot; and ensuring equitable distribution based on ability and work. Praising workers across sectors for driving national development, the president said &nbsp;&quot;the true strength of Pakistan lies in the hands of its laborers,&quot; adding that &quot;labor empowerment is the pathway to lasting national strength.&quot; &nbsp; &quot;Pakistan remains committed to upholding international labor standards and promoting fundamental rights at work, including fair wages, social protection, the elimination of forced and child labor, and non-discrimination&quot;, Zardari said. He also highlighted the role of overseas Pakistanis, saying their remittances support families, strengthen communities, and contribute to economic stability. We are committed to expanding technical and vocational education, enabling women&rsquo;s participation in the workforce, and creating pathways for our youth to access decent work, both at home and in global labor markets, the statement said. PM highlights workforce resilience, skills development initiativesPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a post on X, called workers<span style='color: rgb(15, 20, 25); font-family: TwitterChirp, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; display: inline !important; float: none;' id="isPasted">&nbsp;the &quot;backbone of society,&quot; recognizing the contributions of laborers, farmers, artisans, and professionals across industries. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2050063942270255264&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=8c50bf7c3d943761714bd47f263a89044b0e2cae&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 897px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> &quot;Their sacrifices, hard work and perseverance keep the wheels of life moving, from fields to factories, construction sites to workshops, at local level and right to the global stage,&quot; he said. Pakistani workers demonstrate &quot;resilience, courage, and dignity&quot; in the face of challenges, the PM said, adding that the labor force reflects the country&rsquo;s &quot;industriousness and professional excellence.&quot; On policy measures, he reiterated the government&#39;s efforts to enhance workforce skills through the National Skills Development Policy, with a special emphasis on internationally recognized training, language proficiency, and certification to improve global employment prospects and ensure that the workforce secures dignified opportunities worldwide. Institutions such as the Employees&rsquo; Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) and the Workers Welfare Fund (WWF) continue to provide pensions, housing, education and other services to workers and their families, the statement said. The PM called on all stakeholders, including the business community and industrialists, to uphold workers&rsquo; rights and ensure safe and fair working conditions. Both leaders emphasized the need for collective action to build an economy where labor is respected and adequately compensated.&nbsp;

Economy

Pakistan on Friday marked International Labor Day with renewed pledges to protect workers’ rights, improve working conditions, and expand economic opportunities, as leadership paid tribute to the country’s labor force.

Articles tagged with "Labor Day"

Pakistani factory worker finds peace amid extreme heat and hardship

Pakistan reaffirms commitment to workers’ rights, vows stronger protections on Labor Day

Pakistani factory worker finds peace amid extreme heat and hardship