Women labourers working in different industries have many complaints in common. One, they are all grossly underpaid. Two, they are not entitled to any maternity leave, rather a married woman does not get work in factories. Three, supervisors are mostly men and four, women share washrooms with men in a good number of small factories. So labour laws have not been implemented in the formal sector, what to talk of non-formal sector.

It is to be noted that one and a half years back labour inspectors were stopped from entering factories on the orders of the chief minister Punjab. It was a verbal order so it was never challenged in court.

Women Workers Helpline (WWHL), an NGO which works for the rights of women, twice took the initiative to bring women labourers from different industries together. Punjab Labour department didn't turn up at both the meetings so it seems they avoid direct meeting with workers. People from Workers' Federation also weren't there or they could have been of help.

The WWHL demands registration of all factories with the government, minimum wages, social security, six month maternity leave, proper overtime, abolition of contract system and daycare facility for children of women workers.

Here are accounts of few women labourers from different industries:

At Medicare, a pharmaceutical industry on Kahna Road, each woman labourer packs 30,000 syringe in cartons in a day. She is not entitled to any leave. If she falls ill and wants to leave work half way, her pay for the day is deducted from her monthly salary but the owner of the factory Sajjad said this is not true. "The factory pays for half day's work and we have proofs of that. If we ask workers reason for their absence they get rude with us," he said.

Women labourers complain that women supervisors do not let women labourers help each other -- like they do not let them ask for help in lifting cartons which weigh 9-10kg. Women labourers get Rs 4000 per month, less than the minimum wage fixed by the government. "Previously, we used to fill 12 cartons, now we have to fill 20 cartons daily and at the same pay," say two labourers.

At Medicare, a girl said she demanded overtime and was fired for that when the monitors came to know about it. Ten to 12 girl workers have been fired on this account. They don't give any identity (ID) cards to workers.

Children, some as young as seven year old, make 3,000 cartons for the 30 girls who pack 30,000 syringes each. Sixteen children are working here. The youngest of them is six year old.

When The News on Sunday contacted the management at Medicare, its owner, Sajjad said, "To say that the girls were fired for demanding overtime, is not correct. We give one month training and salary to the new workers and give them a target too. What happens is by the end of the month three out of ten workers fail to meet the given target. The first month is probation period. There are girls who waste time in talking. At the end of the day their output is not the same as those who take work seriously. Naturally, those who fail to deliver, have to leave after a certain period of time. I have visited factories in China and the speed with which girls work there is something to be seen. Ninety women are working here and are getting paid for that."

On the policy of maternity leave, he said, "Medicare does not employ pregnant women because they go on leave after sometime and actually leave the factory. We have set Rs 200 prize money for a worker who comes the whole month."

Asked why the workers do not get minimum wages fixed by the government, he said, "we have to bear more cost here. There are many things government has to look after -- roads are one of them. While the government has done development work in Gulberg and Township Industrial Areas, Kahna Road on which our factory is located, is absolutely neglected. You cannot believe that there are 3-4ft ditches on this road. We provide transportation facility to workers in the absence of any public transport here. Try coming on your car here. You can't." No doubt its the government's job to make roads and it should be specially taken care of when industries are paying sales tax and income tax.

At a textile industry which makes sports socks, there are 50-60 women labourers out of around 1300 labourers here. Women workers complain they are paid less than men labourers. There is no social security, no medical facility, no transportation, no promotion system for women workers and no union here. There is a five member committee though which previously had all men members. Now, with the effort of Women Workers Helpline (WWH), there are two women as well in this committee.

The complaints received from another textile industry are long working hours, very little payment for overtime: Rs 3-4 per hour. There is a weekly off but the workers do not have the right to leave.

At a factory near Rohi Nala, there is only one washroom shared by men and women. At another factory in Kot Lakhpat where towel gowns and white towel carpet slippers are stitched, there is a common washroom with no water. There can be no two opinions that there should be separate washrooms for men and women, in the absence of which women go through much mental torture. A woman from this factory told WWHL that she cuts uneven threads on the gown with cutter and is paid one rupee per piece for that. In a day one woman earns 11 rupees while another is able to make only Rs. 8 -- and mind you, this work takes their whole day.

Another thing that has come to be seen is that work space should be defined for the two sexes. There is one factory on Sheikhupura Road where women sort out dirt from cotton. The supervisor is a man who has the habit of touching women workers. So supervisors too should be women. In a factory in Green Town the workers have not been given overtime for a year and they do not get leave as well.

In Gulshan-e-Ravi there are six factories, all called plastic factories. Some 250-300 women work there. They have to sort out different colours of plastic from the refuse that they receive. In one factory a woman fainted the moment she opened a bottle and there is no provision of first aid in these factories in such an event.

At a relatively new garments factory at Bedian Road, Lahore, who are importers, labourers are paid Rs. 5000 a month so they do get minimum wage at least but there are other complaints from here. A worker says, "Nobody is paid overtime here. The workers were promised raise in salaries after two months. Eight months have passed and there is no pay raise. Only supervisors who already draw 35 to 40 thousand salary, have been given bonus on Eid, not labourers." Social security and medical facility are simply not there. There is a dispensary in the factory where a nurse attends patients but has medicines only for throat infections, workers say. Transportation of workers is one big problem. Women are badly pressed for space in buses and when they complain to the incharge transport whom they call Madam Rubina that transportation facility is insufficient, she snubs them. There is no work here these days as there is no order but workers have to punch their cards and wait all day long till 3pm (Ramzan timings).

Those who demand their rights have to run risks, like a woman who worked at Longman factory was fired for demanding her rights. Now WWHL is fighting her case in court. The WWHL and worker mobilisers see formation of workers' union as imperative. In the present circumstances forming a union is an uphill task. Industrial Relations Ordinance (IRO) 2002 stops people from uniting. Workers of a unit can form a union but if those doing the same work at different places want to form a union, they cannot. Niaz Khan, general secretary Ittehad Labour Union Carpet Industry Pakistan which was formed before this ordinance came, demands registration of factories, in the absence of which there can be no social security. The union has written several letters to the president, prime minister and minister Labour for registration of factories and social security.

I have learnt a lot of things from my foreign friends residing in Pakistan during the last couple of years. To say the least, they do not share most of the values that are generally attributed to Pakistanis. For example, very rarely would you see them wasting their time. It is true that they love to have fun, but they genuinely know how to draw a line between fun and work. When they are supposed to work, not even the most luring of attractions can divert their attention. They seem to follow a certain work ethic that is uncommon in Pakistan.

At the same time, however, there are a few things that my foreign friends have apparently failed to learn even after spending years in Pakistan. For example, they prefer to go Dutch (commonly known as the 'American system') whenever we go out to dine. For a thorough-bred Punjabi like me, this is simply unacceptable to pool in money each time we have to pay at a restaurant. All my arguments against this practice have so far fallen on deaf ears and the future does not augur too well either.

Coming to my foreign friends' idea of enjoyment, they can derive it out of even those things that we Pakistanis normally take for granted. I remember a particular weekend. The bunch of friends -- three Austrian boys in their teens, a fully-Americanised Pakistani, a half-Americanised Pakistani and this scribe -- gathered on the occasion really wanted to have some fun.

After all the available options -- ranging from playing chess to listening to some classical music -- had been explored and rejected one after the other, it was finally decided that the most wonderful thing that could be done at that particular point of time was to play Risk. So, we went to the nearby market and bought the game. The rest of the night as well as some early hours of Sunday were spent pitching our armies against that of others. Those who have played Risk know long the game takes before one of the players ultimately conquers the whole world, so there was no result in the end as some of the players had already gone to sleep waiting for their turn. But we did have a nice time!

Another thing that really impresses me about my foreign friends is that they do not believe in putting a lot of burden on someone. For example, if they happen to be at my place the maximum they would ask for is a glass of water. They would thank me so much for even a cup of tea that I start feeling that I have bought them a whole tea plantation. If the tea is served with snacks also, their wonder knows no bounds -- how could someone be so generous? Compared with this, Pakistani friends would call you a miser and would never drop again at your house if they are not treated in a 'befitting' manner -- the least they would expect is a sumptuous meal.

The keenness of my foreign friends to learn new things is impressive to say the least. None of them has wasted his time in Pakistan. If one is learning Urdu, the other is learning how to play an instrument. They are compassionate to the core and their spirit of volunteerism is exemplary. Not only do they teach orphans for free at the SOS village, they also rendered invaluable services after the October 8, 2005, earthquake. These things might not be of any use to them once they return to their home countries, but at least they would have fond memories to cherish.

Finally, their ability to mingle with the local people and make friends with them without considering their social status is praiseworthy; so much so that one of them named Jakob Steiner, who has already left for his home country, Austria, came to be widely known as Sufi -- not only among Pakistanis, but also among other foreigners like him. Isn't this quite a befitting tribute in itself!

•Elegant Fabrics and Hand Embroidered Suits

Exhibition by Mrs Uzma Hammad today from

10am-4:30pm at Eden Avenue Club, Defence Road,

Bhatta Chowk.

•LEAF Discourse on Science and Religion

on Thursday, October 4 at Model Town Library Auditorium with Iftaar. Amjad Waheed is the speaker.

• Female entrepreneurs' products and handicrafts

Exhibition opens at 11am every day till September 30 at Women Business Incubation Centre Peco Road

• Paintings exhibition by Mohammad Shafique

at Hamail Gallery, off M.M. Alam Road, Lahore till September 30

• Mansoor Aye at Croweaters Gallery

Abstract figurative works open till September 30. Gallery timings: 10:30am to 7:30pm daily. Sundays closed.

• A concert

of unheard melodies at Government College University Lahore every Saturday at 1:30pm.

• Puppet Show for Children

at Alhamra, The Mall at 11am. Ticket for Rs. 5/10

• Puppet Shows for everyone

at Peerus Caf'e every Sunday at 3pm.

Standing by a market place near a girl's hostel at Firdous Market, I overhear few shopkeepers murmuring amongst themselves as a hostelite passed by. "There she comes! Now her 'guests' would keep coming all night long." "These girls have polluted our environment," a flower seller pitches in. "Why would they care about it at all. They have no morals and values, that is what they are supposed to do," another one says.

The first thing that strikes is why are these people saying nasty things about a young girl who apparently does not look odd? On probing I find that this poor girl from Sahiwal is working at a designer boutique at M.M. Alam Road. Pakistan has its share of female professionals -- artists, designers, educationists, beauticians, teachers, journalists, entrepreneurs, doctors, nurses, social workers, politicians etc and some common problems. Many women face long-term prejudices, not only from the community on the rampage but also at work. With the pressure from their own families they are constantly struggling to make their mark. But the hostility with which the society judges them makes things far more difficult for these young thriving women.

As societies are progressing technologically, women in Lahore depend more and more on their individual ability and creativity to work towards their progress and that of their family. Amid the numerous practical problems faced by the working women the issues of residence and mobility top the list. Especially the girls who come from other cities find it hard to cope with workload and the ever increasing problems of staying all alone. "I had to leave my job eventually and went back to my hometown and tried to pursue a career there," says Hajra, a lady health worker from Muridke. Similarly, Asma who is a teacher by profession, dejectedly says young girls living all alone is a 'taboo' in our society. "People do not realise that no one wants to live in hostels. In fact, it's out of compulsion," says Tania, a local from Faisalabad working at a Multinational Company. For girls living without their families what haunts the most is character assassination.

"You just cannot see your guests because they are seen negatively by everyone whether it is your own hostel warden or your fellow room mates. The moment you are found socialising with any outsider your reputation is busted," tells Uzma. "My fianc'e (Ahmer) used to come to the hostel fortnightly, few people from within the hostel linked me up with Ahmer, the speculation doing the rounds was that I was having an extra marital affair with him. Later, the same gossip reached my fianc'e which resulted in a big misunderstanding between us," told Humaira.

Whilst talking to TNS majority of the girls agreed that living alone is unacceptable in our society. In Karachi though, this has found its roots and is socially acceptable. "In Lahore even cut-off timings of the hostel are so harsh that it becomes difficult for us to move freely on our own. The management needs to realise that we are not living in a boarding school. We are adults who can distinguish between good and bad, right and wrong," says Maham. Moreover, there is no privacy given to anyone, even during the scheduled meetings. And usually the visitors are sent back without meeting their loved ones. The girls hostels are substandard and try to take stringent measures to have a good reputation, so they care more for themselves than for the girls who pay them for the services.

No doubt hostels receive girls and women of different ages from all over the province and from varied backgrounds, as a result it becomes difficult for families to distinguish the good hostels from bad ones. In such a situation chances of their daughters falling astray remains there.

The other concern is that of mobility. Instances of women being harassed, both physically and verbally, at bus stops and in buses and vans are considered to be daily episodes. Even though women labour force has substantially increased over the last few years, safe means of transportation has never been a priority. "My performance at work is affected due to the harrowing time spent in public buses," says Hina. Similarly, Ayesha complains that she has to cover herself with a dupatta before boarding a bus, and sit as a lifeless statue. Often men sit on seats reserved for women in the buses which then force women to share seats with men. The sexist attitude of male conductors and the men travelling makes travelling a nerve-wrecking experience. Men look down upon the girls who are travelling on their own so they try to make use of this vulnerability. In Karachi there are buses exclusively meant for women, concerned authorities in Lahore must take such steps.

You may call it an accident of gender or accident of birth but in our society 'honour' is vigorously associated with women; but it is these women who are vulnerable and no one is there to protect their 'honour'. Segregation is not a solution to these problems -- other members of the society need to amend their ways of looking at women at large.

"I am your Brother Maaan! Will you give me some money? I need to pay the fare," says Samuel aka Sammy who is black, wearing a bright yellow t-shirt and faded jeans. Sammy climbs in the bus and everyone stares at him. Sammy smiles, "I am used to it man, still the same kind of reaction since I am came here for the very first time." Sammy has been in Lahore since the last two years, he is one of the many Africans who come from poorer countries to study here. "I came here to study at UET, wanted to become a computer engineer. But then I jumped into the dark side man," Sammy smiles and his nicotine-stained yellow teeth contrasting against his black skin. He says that he was a good student for one year and then he got mixed up with the wrong crowd. "I dropped out of college and moved into a small one room flat. I spent all my money on drugs, but now I want to go back". Sammy got out on the next stop, "Thanks man," he said and smiled.

Foreigners anywhere are easy to spot. Lahore it seems has always attracted them. "I have been all over Pakistan, but Lahore is different." Michael Boyd is sitting in a dimly lit, small tea shop that's on Lawrence road. Michael came from London to Pakistan for the first time when he was 25. "I was actually covering Indian held Kashmir for a local newspaper as a photojournalist and somebody suggested that we should visit Pakistan as well." Michael never looked back. "I really didn't like Lahore the first time I came," he lights up another cigarette and calls for his fourth cup of tea. "But now that I think about it, Lahore grows on you. It takes its time, and then you fall in love." Michael says that the only thing that he doesn't like about Pakistan in general is the usually non-professional attitude of people. "I have worked with a lot of people here," he says "But it's a shame that people here love to waste time, that's the only thing that turns me off, the last year or two have been better though, with new people coming into the media, it is getting efficient but it will take time."

Mary, who studied theatre for her masters, came to Lahore in 2000 when she heard that theatre had a very strong influence in Lahore. "I was shocked! When I came here," she says "Theatre as a serious art-form was already dead when I came here. I tried working with a couple of theatre groups that still exist here but most of them have become NGOs and focus more on that than on theatre itself." Mary alternates between Islamabad -- where she works -- and Lahore. "I just feel it's sad that I as somebody who does not originate from here feel so strongly for its theatre, but most of its own people don't."

A lot of people feel that most foreigners come here only for a chance to live a cheap life and an easy access to drugs. "I am sorry, they might be nice people but it's the same colonial mindset," says Anjuman who studies in a local university which employs foreign teachers. "Most of them are mediocre at teaching, they wouldn't be at these positions if they were back home. The only reason they get respect and good money is because of the colour of their skin." Moeez who studies in the same university says, "Most of the foreigners I know come here because they get hashish, heroin and other drugs at dirt cheap prices and there are no restrictions. Its heaven for them."

But who can forget Tony Martin Smith? It's a name that comes jumping up whenever I think of foreigners. Tony was in college with us; he was south Indian, dark, and skinny and would talk in a funny Marathi accent and nobody really took a special notice of him. When the October 8 earthquake occurred, Tony was the first to volunteer for packing up food, clothes and medicines in these muddy coloured cartons. He would take his classes and then devote his day to packing. And when everyone else's "Lets help the earthquake victims" charm ended, Tony Martin Smith was still there, packing food, clothing and medicines in those muddy coloured boxes, for people who were not from his country, for people who did not believe in the same faith he did. What I saw in his eyes and what I couldn't shake off since then was that for Tony being human always came first.

1.Not feeling well

2. Dehydration

3. Don't feel like

4. Couldn't get up for sehri

5. Can't handle it

6. Meri marzi

7. Can't do without cigarrete

8.Have to exercise

9.Don't need an excuse

10.Morning tea

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