ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday pledged to expand skills training aligned with global industry needs to boost overseas employment opportunities for Pakistanis, as the country marked International Labour Day with renewed focus on worker welfare and protections.
International Labour Day, observed annually on May 1, commemorates the historic struggle of workers for fair wages, reasonable working hours and safe working conditions, rooted in the late 19th-century labor movement in the United States and later institutionalized as a global day of recognition for labor rights.
“To enhance the skills and professional capacity of Pakistanis seeking employment abroad, the Federal Government has undertaken targeted initiatives,” Sharif said in his Labour Day message.
“Under the National Skills Development Policy, a comprehensive strategy has been developed to align our workforce with the evolving needs of industry, trade, and modern global standards,” he said, adding that emphasis was being placed on internationally recognized training, language proficiency and certification to help workers secure “dignified opportunities worldwide.”
Pakistan receives billions of dollars annually in remittances from workers overseas, making labor migration a key pillar of its economy. The government has increasingly focused on skills development to improve employability in international markets, particularly in the Gulf and Europe.
Sharif said millions of Pakistanis working abroad “serve as ambassadors of Pakistan’s talent and strength,” adding that their remittances “play a vital role in strengthening our national economy.”
He also called on businesses and employers to uphold labor rights, saying: “Today, we call upon all stakeholders, including the business community and industrialists, to uphold the dignity and protection of our labor force.”
In a separate message, President Asif Ali Zardari highlighted the constitutional commitment to ending exploitation.
“140 years ago on this day, the workers of Chicago laid their lives to defend their rights, when they demanded: ‘Eight hours for work, eight hours for rest, eight hours for what we will,’” he said.
He added that Pakistan’s constitutional framework enshrines similar principles, noting: “The State shall ensure the elimination of all forms of exploitation and the gradual fulfillment of the fundamental principles, from each according to his ability to each according to his work.”
Zardari also emphasized the broader role of workers in national development, saying: “Their work is not merely a means of livelihood; it is the force that drives national development.”
