Home-based workers: Stakeholders okay national policy’s adoption

Suggest a three-member board to monitor working conditions.

LAHORE: Stakeholders at a consultative workshop on Formulation of National Policy for Home-based Workers on Friday unanimously agreed to adopt the policy at the national level.

The workshop was organised by the Labour Welfare wing of the Ministry of Labour and Manpower in collaboration with International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations Women. It was attended by representatives of the provincial Labour Department, Social Welfare Department, the Punjab Employees Social Security Institution and the Workers Welfare Board, trade unions and civil society. Several employers and home-based workers were also present.

The participants recommended that a database of home-based workers should be developed by registering them at the union council level.

They said data of individual union councils could then be used to compile district-level and provincial-level databases. This would enable the government to determine the exact number, nature and types of these workers, they said.

At union council level, they suggested, a three-member commission comprising the UC councillor, a labour inspector and a resident of the area to monitor working conditions. They said a trade union representative should be added to the commission at the district-level.

Besides self-contribution, they said, Baitul Maal funds should be used to arrange social security benefits for the workers.

They said the Minimum Wages Board should determine the per-piece rate paid to the workers to ensure that they aren’t paid less than the minimum wage set out under the Labour Policy.

Ministry of Labour and Manpower joint secretary (Labour Welfare) Syed Mustafain Kazmi chaired the workshop.

He pressed the need for a comprehensive policy for home-based workers. He said the ministry was committed to the ratification of ILO convention-177 which concerned the home-based workers.

Provincial government’s Labour joint director Sakhawat Shah also expressed support for the initiative to formulate a national policy for home-based workers.

He said registration of home-based workers would be a difficult task considering that several different kinds of vocations fall under the category. However, he said, organising more discussion sessions would clarify these issues.  He said the Punjab government was committed to developing a support system for these workers.

Similar consultative workshops would be held in other provinces during February to finalise the policy draft. It would be presented before the Federal Cabinet for approval in March.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2011.