Celebrating labour history month with cross-border dialogue
Every May, the world pauses to celebrate Labour History Month, a time to honour the hard-fought victories of working people, remember those who sacrificed for the rights we often take for granted, and look closely at the work that still lies ahead.
Across Southasia*, the modern landscape of work is changing rapidly. From underpaid factory floors to the vast, unprotected informal sector, working people, especially women and migrants, face unprecedented pressures. Suppressed wages, restricted union organizing, unsafe environments, and the fast-rising tide of automation aren’t just local issues anymore; they cross borders effortlessly. Because these challenges are regional, our solutions must be regional too.
To map out a collective path forward, this Sunday, the Southasia Peace Action Network (Sapan) brings together civil society voices, trade union pioneers, and researchers from across the region for an open, collaborative webinar. This isn’t just an event; it’s a shared space for mutual learning, reflection, and cross-border solidarity.
Whether you are an activist, a student, or someone who cares about human dignity and social justice, we invite you to pull up a chair and join the conversation.
Event details
Date: Sunday, 31 May 2026
Time: 10:00 am ET / 7:00 pm Pakistan / 7:30 pm India & Sri Lanka / 7:45 pm Nepal / 8:00 pm Bangladesh
Meet the panel
To truly understand a regional problem, you need regional experts. We’ve brought together an incredible group of change-makers from around Southasia:
The host
Namrata Sharma (Nepal): Award-winning journalist, dedicated activist, and Sapan founding
member who will steer our ship for the session.
The moderator
Nalini Rathnarajah (Sri Lanka): She has spent more than 25 years fighting for gender equality, social justice, and women’s economic empowerment. As the Executive Director of Women’s Development Innovators, her work beautifully connects feminist economics with practical resilience. She is a fierce advocate for reducing the unpaid care burden on women and opening doors to high-income, dignified livelihoods.
The panellists
Syed Sultan Uddin Ahmmed (Bangladesh): His journey in trade unionism spans over four decades, stretching back to 1980. A heavyweight in policy advocacy and labour law reform, he led Bangladesh’s Labour Reform Commission 2024. Currently the Executive Director of the Bangladesh Institute of Labour Studies, Mr. Ahmmed also spent years as a Specialist on Workers’ Activities for the ILO Decent Work Team for South Asia in New Delhi.
Rakhi Sehgal (India): An independent researcher and trade union organizer for over twenty years, she specializes in supporting workers navigating the modern realities of precarity, contract labour, and supply chain pressures. She is known for her critical work backing wrongly accused union leaders, and tracking the systemic criminalization of labour dissent. More recently, she has been on the ground in Noida, actively supporting detained workers through the maze of bail proceedings and sessions courts. Read her latest article here: The losses workers are counting after Noida protests
Chamila Thushari (Sri Lanka): A feminist leader who started as a grassroots mobilizer and has spent 30 years fighting alongside women in Sri Lanka’s apparel and Free Trade Zone sectors. Since 1998, she has led the Dabindu Collective, amplifying the voices of marginalized factory workers to demand safe conditions and fair standards. Her expertise is highly sought after across regional networks, including the Asia Floor Wage Alliance and Sri Lanka’s National Labour Advisory Committee.
Farooq Tariq (Pakistan): A lifetime political organizer who champions the rights of peasants and marginalized workers. He brings a wealth of global insight to local struggles, serving as the President of the Haqooq-e-Khalq Party and holding leadership roles in the Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee, the Asian Peoples Movement on Debt and Development, and the Fight Inequality Alliance.
Sita Lama (Nepal): Her activism began in childhood as an advocate against child labour, evolving over 30 years into deep trade union leadership. Today, she is a board member and Vice President of the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions, where she also serves as the Women Committee President. She brings critical insight into how gender and worker representation intersect at the highest levels.
Detailed speaker bios at this link.
RESOLUTION PASSED AT THE EVENT: Resolution on Labour Rights, Dignity and Justice.
A regional gathering like this takes a village. Huge thanks to our dedicated team of volunteers and advisors who have worked to bring this dialogue to life: Beena Sarwar, Bidhi Adhikari, Kavita Srivastava, Khawar Mumtaz, Khushi Kabir, Namrata Sharma, Pragyan Srivastava, Shoaib Ahmed Sayam, Sher Afgan Tareen, Sushmita Preetha.
*Sapan uses ‘Southasia’ as one word to reflect our shared histories, geographies and cultures.
Sapan is a voluntary organisation. We connect Southasia and the diaspora, and work to build a narrative of regionalism, peace, and dialogue. Please donate tax-free to help us cover our costs.
Thank you!
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