The series of economic attacks on working people by rulers acting as agents of the IMF and other imperialist institutions continues unabated. In this same vein, in Sindh—just like all other provinces—the People’s Party, which calls itself the so-called torchbearer of democracy, has implemented anti-worker policies. These include pension reforms, non-payment of DRA (Disparity Reduction Allowance), failure to increase wages in proportion to inflation, and other draconian measures. Government employees of Sindh have been in the field of action against these policies for several months.
Background: Months of Resistance
In this regard, repeated attempts have been made to hold sit-ins at Karachi Press Club, Sindh Assembly, Governor House, and Bilawal House, which were stopped through police brutality and state repression. Teachers and other government employees were subjected to the worst violence, arrests were made, and false cases were registered against them. Despite these dirty tactics of the Sindh government, the struggle of government employees continued.
The Strike Action
On Monday, 25 August, a work stoppage strike was held across Sindh by locking government offices, schools, and other departments. In all major cities from Karachi to Kashmore, offices were closed, protest demonstrations were held, and strong slogans were raised against the rulers acting as IMF agents. The Government Secondary Teachers Association (GSTA) played a key role in organising this movement.
Exposing the Anti-Worker Propaganda
The filthy propaganda that the People’s Party and various nationalist parties carried out against this strike has openly exposed their anti-worker and pro-capitalist character. This strike by workers was a legitimate and necessary action, an expression of their collective struggle against capitalist exploitation and state repression.
This strike was not against any particular nation, language, or region—rather, it was part of a class struggle; a struggle against a system that concentrates the wealth created by workers into the hands of a handful of elites. The People’s Party, which has been ruling Sindh for years, and various nationalist parties, which bow before the capitalist system, both attempted to damage the credibility of this strike by labelling it “unnecessary,” “anti-education,” or “disruptive.”
These same parties carry out economic attacks on workers at the behest of the IMF, and when workers resist, they spew venom against them. This is not mere coincidence but part of their conscious strategy: to crush class consciousness and divide the working class on national, linguistic, or regional lines.
Unity Across All Divisions
The working class—whether Sindhi, Punjabi, Pashtun, or Baloch—is bound in the same class chain, and their liberation is only possible through uniting and waging a decisive struggle against the capitalist system. This strike is a living example of the truth that when workers recognise their power and enter the field in an organised manner, they become a threat to the ruling class and all its political agents. That is why the state and its parties attack them.
We unconditionally support this movement and give this open message to all workers: these anti-worker measures can only be defeated through the organised and united alliance of workers.
The Way Forward
Therefore, not only should this movement be expanded further and all associations and unions be included in it, but the propaganda of state and anti-worker elements should also be countered at the public level.
In short, all workers must unite and wage an organised struggle at the national level against these oppressive measures of the government and imperialist institutions.
For this, it is essential that the working class moves towards a nationwide general strike. Through a general strike, the working class of the entire country will not only realise its collective power but will prove that every wheel, every machine, every light bulb, and every service of this system runs because of them. If they choose, this system cannot run even for a single day.
The working class is the only force that can shake the foundations of this obsolete capitalist state and lay the foundation for building a new society—a society where workers will govern, exploitation will end, and every person’s needs will be given top priority, not profit.
