In a two-day workshop organised by the Organisation of World Labourers, members of various labour unions demanded that labourers be paid minimum remuneration along with perks at par with the minimum benchmark set by the International Labour Organisation. The International Labour Organisation stipulates that a labourer is entitled to receive an appointment letter, minimum wage to meet basic necessities and other services, including medical treatment and insurance. However, most of the industrial and business houses in the country, flouting the provisions of the ILO, have employed hundreds of thousands of labourers on paltry wages far below the minimum amount stipulated by the ILO.

Furthermore, even as the constitution prohibits unequal pay on any grounds, women labourers are still paid less than their male counterparts. Worse still, despite the legal restriction to employ child labour under hazardous circumstances, children continue to be exploited almost like before. As a signatory to the ILO agreement, it is the duty of the government to abide by its commitments and ensure employment to labourers, protect their legitimate rights and guarantee their well-being. The labourers, as other citizens of the state, are entitled to the enjoyment of rights granted by laws of the state. For the extent to which a citizen enjoys h/her rights determines whether we live in a democratic and fair society.