Farm workers seek social security, welfare funds

Human rights activists and women agricultural farm workers have demanded implementation of the Sindh Women Agricultural Workers Act 2019, and for covering these workers through social security and workers welfare funds. They were speaking at the Women Agriculture Workers Convention, organised by the Sindh Community Foundation (SCF) and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in Matiari district on Tuesday.

Syed Nadeem Shah of the Sindh Abadgar Board, a lobbying group of farmers, lamented that a lack of government attention and adequate policies is plunging the agriculture sector in financial straits. "The role of women in the agriculture sector is pivotal but their socio-economic conditions are very poor," he acknowledged, emphasising on the need for government provided protection for these workers.

Labour rights activist Taj Mari said implementation of the laws for the labour rights in agriculture sector has received only scant attention of the government functionaries. "Implementation of the laws at the local levels required a preceding improvement in the efficiency of the labor department," he underscored.

SCF head Javed Soz said Sindh Women Agricultural Act 2019, has made equal the wages of women farm workers with men. "A woman worker shall receive pay in cash or kind…which shall be equal to pay received by male workers for same work," reads the Act, adding that the pay in question should not be less than the minimum wage for the labours as fixed by the government.

He informed that the law entitled women with 120 days of maternity leave besides she could also take off from work due to sickness or for ante natal or post natal care or for healthcare checkup. A woman worker is also entitled to receive a written contract of employment on her demand and she has also been given the right to form a union or association or become a part of such activities, he added.

The law brings the Sindh labour department under obligation of maintaining a register of women agriculture workers at the union council level. A registered farm workerwoman will be issued Benazir Women Agricultural Workers' Card or the Benazir Card. The law also provides for setting up Benazir Women's Support Programme as a permanent programme under the labour and human resources department.

Soz told that under the law the tripartite arbitration councils are supposed to be set up at the provincial, district, taluka and UC levels. The councils will have representation of women agricultural workers, employers, labour and female councilors and the labour and human resource department.

The council will set the labour rates for various agricultural tasks like cotton, chili and wheat harvesting as well as for dairy, livestock and fisheries related works. It will also arbitrate between the landlords and women farm workers.

SCF's manager Aisha Agha and other speakers urged the authorities to enforce Sindh Industrial Relations Act, 2014, as well and also to help the agriculture workers form labour unions and receive the social security coverage.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 14^th, 2021.