Tens of thousands of South Koreans on Sunday joined May Day protests against labour reforms pushed by the government, and called for a higher minimum wage.
Labour activists say a bill being pushed by President Park Geun-Hye and her conservative Saenuri Party will make it easier for companies to sack workers.
"Let's fight together against the evil bill!" activists and unionised workers chanted in unison during a protest in Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall.
About 30,000 unionised workers took part, according to the Federation of Korean Trade Unions.
Elections last month saw Park's party lose its parliamentary majority for the first time in 16 years, as voters registered their dissatisfaction with the president's economic record and soaring youth unemployment.
The crushing defeat means Park, who has less than two years left of her single five-year term, will increasingly struggle to push through her conservative economic agenda including labour reforms.
Messages on banners waved at Sunday's rally included "Down with easy layoff!" and "Protect our rights to work!".
Protesters chanted: "Fight against Park's administration that suppresses labour rights!"
Many also waved giant flags reading "Minimum wage of 10,000 won($8.73)!" South Korea's current minimum wage is 6,030 won per hour.
Another protest involving thousands of workers was held elsewhere in central Seoul, demanding the scrapping of the labour reform bill and shorter working hours.
South Korea has some of the world's longest working hours at 2,124 a year, far higher than the OECD average of 1,770 hours.
Police said more than 10,000 officers were deployed for the protests but no clashes were reported.
Last year's May Day rallies ended with violent clashes between protesters and police, who used water cannon and pepper spray on the crowd. Dozens of people were injured.
Park's administration argues the reform plan would introduce flexibility to a rigid labour market, by making it easier for businesses to hire as well as to fire.
More than 10,000 workers,
member of civil society ,newspaper hawkers, mediamen , Brick-kiln workers on
Sunday organised more than 16 rallies in Multan city .The International Labour
Day was observed across the South Punjab including in Multan, Dera Ghazi
Khan, Muzaffargarh, Bahawalpur and Rahimyar khan on Sunday to renew
pledge for protecting rights of workers. In order to highlight significance of
the day and rights of the workers, different political and labour
organizations‚ particularly the labour wings of political parties and
professional bodies including WAPDA Hydro Electric Central Labour Union,
Railway Workers Union, Justic & Peace Commission, Pasban Rickshaw Union,
Coca-Cola workers Union ,Leather Garments %& textile workers Union ,Akhbar
Farosh Union, Brick-kiln workers Union organized programmes. Saint Peter,
Babu Nafees Ansari Ex-MPA, Ahmed Mujtaba Gilani Ex-MPA, Ashraf Qureshi, Naeem
Haroon, Malik Ashiq Bhutta, Razia Eric ,Hafeez Iftikhar , Malik Zul-Naurain
Bhutta of People's Saraiki Party, Muhammad Hssain, Ghazi Ahmed Hassaan Khokhar,
Malik Bashir Ahmed, Ashfaq Ahmed Khan said that the Labour Day on First of May
every year symbolizes the sanctity and dignity of labour. While this Day
reminds us of the Chicago Martyrs and their struggle against oppression, unfair
wages, 12 to 16 hours working hours it also provides us with the opportunity to
renew our commitment for ensuring the rights of workers for Decent, Safe and
Healthy work environment. They said that satisfied labour force is essential to the production
cycle and national development. It is, indeed, the driving force behind any
industrial and agricultural progress. All claims of development will remain
meaningless until the vulnerable working class is emancipated, and empowered.
That is why the welfare of labour is a priority matter for this Government,they
added. Pro Government trade Unions including Muslim League Labour wing
Shahid Mukhtar Lodhi, Munir Langah,Begum Shaheen Shafiq MNA, Khaula Amjad
Sheikh MPA said
It is heartening that
during the past few years a number of practical steps have been taken for
improving the condition of the workers. These included reinstatement of sacked
employees, regularization of contract and daily wage earners, empowering the
workers to seek legal remedies against any unlawful dismissals, restoration of
trade union activities, increase in minimum pension, promulgation of Industrial
Relations Act, 2012 and making workers and employees share-holders in the
state-run entities. However, the struggle for workers’ rights is far from over.
We still have to go a long way in addressing issues relating to exploitation of
workers, child and forced labour, and representation of workers in legislative
assemblies etc. A group of woking women lit the candle vigils to pay homage to
martyrs of Chicago
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