Labour Day: Poor wages, health risks continue to plague famale workers of AQM Dates Market

Fareed Soomro
SUKKUR: While Labour Day on May 1 celebrates workers and their struggles across the globe, it holds little significance for thousands of female and child worker of AQM dates international market Sukkur who put their lives at risk and struggle hard from dawn to dusk but continue to be deprived of government welfare benefits. Sources say that there are at least 5,000 female worker who work for grading and packing who are dependent on this precarious livelihood. They work from dawn to dusk for a meagre Rs 180-250 per day. Besides, these female workers across all ages are susceptible to respiratory problems and suffer from tuberculosis, chronic bronchitis, asthma, etc due to the nature of the work. Mujeeb marhato, a trade union leader of AQM worker said, working with grading and packing is hazardous. Most of these workers suffer from TB and chronic backache. Many of them also develop pain in knee joints as they sit cross-legged for large part of the day. Women comprise the largest part of the workforce. Children too pitch in and are paid the least of all these workers regardless of the amount of work completed, added Mujeeb.