Workers’ rights: Government urged to implement labour laws

Workers should get rights and not be exploited by capitalists, industrialists, say labour leaders at a workshop.

LAHORE: The government must fully implement labour laws to ensure that workers get their full rights and are not exploited by powerful capitalists and industrialists, said labour leaders and NGOs at a workshop here on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“The workers who form unions at their organisation are fired. This is a violation of labour laws,” said Zahoor Awan, general secretary of the Pakistan Workers Federation. “The labourers don’t get proper legal aid and the lawyers do not work as hard on their cases as they might. Workers’ associations should be encouraged.”

The two-day workshop, titled ‘Social dialogue to bring labour rights into the fold of mainstream civil society and media’, was organised by the Strengthening Participatory Organisation and held at the Ambassador Hotel.

“The capitalist system allows exploitation. It protects the capitalist and ignores the rights of ordinary citizens,” said development consultant Dr Robina Saigol. “Developed countries invest in countries where they can find an easily-exploited labour class.”

She said rather than spend money on infrastructure, the government should invest in human development, meaning healthcare and education.

Hanif Ramay, general secretary of the Muttahida Labour Federation, accused the government of exploiting the working class through the Labour Welfare Board. He said the Ministry of Labour had recently hired 30 employees without merit. “How can you expect the ministry to think about the labour class?”

Irshad Hussain Bhatti, general secretary of the Anjuman-e-Tajiran Vehari, told The Express Tribune that labour laws were often flouted in Vehari. “In my area most people are attached with the informal sector. There is no registration of these people and they are being exploited. People who work in shops are not allowed to make unions. They work 12 hours a day and do not get proper salaries.”

Bushra Khaliq, executive director of the Working Women Help Line, spoke about the challenges women face in the workforce and elaborated on the Women’s Protection Act, recent legislation that introduced penalties for workplace harassment.

She appealed to the media to raise awareness about the law so women felt more secure at their places of work.

Shaheena Kausar, general secretary of the Women Workers Union, speaking to The Express Tribune, said civil society should unite to fight the exploitation of workers. She said more women were affected by this than men.

Development consultant Shamshad Qureshi said civil society groups were doing some good work for labourers. “It was because of civil society that 7,000 children in Sialkot were able to leave their factories and start going to schools, while their elder sisters were sent to the factories to work with all the security a woman worker can ask for. I believe we can eliminate child labour completely if we work together instead of working in segments.”

Iftikhar Randhawa, provincial coordinator of the Workers Employers Bilateral Council of Pakistan, said workers and their employers should work together for mutual benefit. “When people talk about labour rights, they are supposed to talk against industrialists and vice versa,” he said. “They should both go hand in hand to make a difference. They both depend on each other and they should take care of each other’s rights.”

Historian Dr Mubarik Ali spoke about the history of labour movements, saying they had resulted in benefits such as shorter working days.

Nazar Hussain of the All Pakistan Clerks Association told The Express Tribune that he favoured a more proactive approach to claiming labour rights than talking at workshops. “No effective solution is given in these meetings. People come and talk and leave,” he said. “In my opinion, we should collectively pressure the government to implement the labour laws. They should take care of all citizens, not just the capitalists.”

Other speakers at the workshop included journalist Hussain Naqi, Strengthening Participatory Organisation CEO Naseer Memon, and Umme Laila Azhar, executive director of Home Net Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2010.