Election manifestoes: Parties criticised for ignoring home-based workers
NGO pushes for acknowledgement of home-based workers as labourers.
Attendees at the press conference included representatives of trade unions, labour leaders and civil society. PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
A nongovernmental organisation has criticsed mainstream political parties for not acknowledging home-based workers (HBWs) as labourers in their manifesto, calling it ‘extremely shocking and depressing’.
“We have been holding consultations with all political parties to press them to include some points about the betterment of HBWs in their manifestos but no party has done this,” Umme Laila Azhar, the chief executive of NGO HomeNet told the Express Tribune on the sidelines of a press conference organised in connection with International Labor Day at Lahore Press Club.
She added HomeNet had pinned hopes on Pakistan Teehrik-e-Insaf but even their manifesto is silent on HWBs. “We sent our recommendations to all mainstream political parties – but unfortunately they simply ignored them,” she added.
“Around 12 million women are working as HBWs but they have no legal protection since no legislation has been done to register them as labourers. Many factory-owners and small industries prefer to give work to women at their homes rather than having them at a specific workplace,” she said. There is a dire need for legislation on this subject but no political party has shown any interest.
Attendees at the press conference included representatives of trade unions, labour leaders and civil society. They said the role of the state in ensuring that the fundamental rights of workers should include both formal and informal workers, specifically HBWs. Through policy legislation, HBWs could be included in the workforce and political parties should focus on this issue in the upcoming elections.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 30th, 2013.
A nongovernmental organisation has criticsed mainstream political parties for not acknowledging home-based workers (HBWs) as labourers in their manifesto, calling it ‘extremely shocking and depressing’.
“We have been holding consultations with all political parties to press them to include some points about the betterment of HBWs in their manifestos but no party has done this,” Umme Laila Azhar, the chief executive of NGO HomeNet told the Express Tribune on the sidelines of a press conference organised in connection with International Labor Day at Lahore Press Club.
She added HomeNet had pinned hopes on Pakistan Teehrik-e-Insaf but even their manifesto is silent on HWBs. “We sent our recommendations to all mainstream political parties – but unfortunately they simply ignored them,” she added.
“Around 12 million women are working as HBWs but they have no legal protection since no legislation has been done to register them as labourers. Many factory-owners and small industries prefer to give work to women at their homes rather than having them at a specific workplace,” she said. There is a dire need for legislation on this subject but no political party has shown any interest.
Attendees at the press conference included representatives of trade unions, labour leaders and civil society. They said the role of the state in ensuring that the fundamental rights of workers should include both formal and informal workers, specifically HBWs. Through policy legislation, HBWs could be included in the workforce and political parties should focus on this issue in the upcoming elections.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 30th, 2013.