Faisalabad: May 7, 2009. (Naseem Anthony reports for PCP ) A seminar on the theme “Working Women: Role of State and its Institutions” to mark international labour day was organized on 1st May 2009 under the auspices of Association of Women for Awareness & Motivation (AWAM) in collaboration with Pakistan Catholic Women’s Organization (PCWO) and Alliance of NGOs for Opportunities & Action (ANOA) at Bishop John Hall in Faisalabad. More than 250 labourers from different sectors and localities of Faisalabad attended this event. The purpose of conducting this event was to create consciousness regarding the historical struggle for labourer rights, and to highlight exploitations in labour policies of Pakistan. The speaker included Mr. Naseem Anthony (Executive Secretary-AWAM), Haji Akram Ansari (M.N.A), Anjum Safdar (M.P.A), Dr. Navida Zia, Iftikhar Ahmad, Hashmat Barkat Advocate, Alia Henry (ANOA), Roquia Kousar (PCWO), Shazia George, Nazia Sardar and Zafar Iqbal. The speakers said, “The total labour force in the country working in informal sectors is 65.8 percent, therefore women workers are exploited in the hands of owners for working in unorganized sector”. “The irony is that workers working in informal sectors are not considered as labourers according to the laws of country, consequently this non-recognized labour force becomes a victim of social and economic problems for not having any legislation”, they added. They said, “It is imperative to curb the rule of landlords and industrialists for eliminating the exploitation of labour rights, therefore labourers working in different sectors should join hands and struggle for their rights”. “The labourers have been the victim of exploitation since the creation of Pakistan and no proper measures have been taken so far to solve their problems in any democratic or dictatorship period of rule”, they added. They said, “It is the responsibility of the state to ensure basic rights of its citizens and to make labour friendly laws, because development of any country depends upon labourers, but Pakistan is reluctant to recognize workers working in informal sectors as labourers”. “Pakistan should sign and ratify ILO C-177 and should ensure proper implementation upon already ratified ILO C-100 for the protection of rights of non-formal workers and should ensure equitable adjustment of rights between employers and employees, and landlords and tenants”, they demanded.