New Delhi, May 1 (IANS): Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday said the condition of workers will not change "only by talk, slogans and promises", and the government needs to bring in new policies and better programmes to make a difference to their lives.

"Everyone has to realise that change in the condition of workers will not come about only by talk, slogans and promises. It will happen with true dedication and giving the workers right of equality and justice," Gandhi said in a statement on the occasion of International Labour Day.

"To bring about a change in the lives of workers in the unorganised sector, governments will have to implement new polices and better programmes," she added.

She said that if workers are left behind in the march of progress then development will remain incomplete. 

"In the march of progress, protecting rights of workers is our first national responsibility," the Congress President said.

She also talked about the role of workers in India's progress towards self-reliance in various sectors. 

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi also lauded the role of workers in the country's progress.

"On Labour Day we pay tribute to the hard work of the true nation builders. In the success of their dreams lies the progress of our nation," Rahul Gandhi tweeted.