Daily Times

The existing gap between labour laws and their implementation must be bridged without any further delay to resolve the problems facing the country’s labour force, said speakers at a consultation workshop on Tuesday. Lawmakers, civil society members and labour leaders attended the event organized by Pattan Development Organisation, in collaboration with the Freidrich Ebert Stiftung foundation. Parliamentary Secretary on Labour and Human Rights Shakeel Shahid, members of Standing Committee on Labour and more than a dozens MPAs participated in the event. Shakeel Shahid assured the participants that his government was committed to improving the implementation of labour laws.

The Pattan national coordinator said that the standing committee should hold its meetings in industrial districts in order to observe state of the labour laws compliance. Abdul Qadir pointed out that all labour-related legislation should conform to the ILO Convention. “A tripartite conference should be held to take all stakeholders on board,” he said.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPA Mian Jalil Ahmad Sharaqpuri said that it was imperative to conduct research on factors that prevented industrialists from issuance of social security/EOBI cards and forced them not to pay minimum wages.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) MPA Sadia Sohail assured the participants of her full support towards improving labour laws’ implementation. She also highlighted the problems facing female workers particularly of domestic and home-based workers. Sarwar Bari raised the issue of abolition of worker and peasant seats from the Panchayat and Neighbourhood Act. MPAs from PTI said they were open to new suggestions in this regard.

Labour Qaumi Movement General Secretary Aslam Mairaj read out the eight-point workers’ memorandum on the occasion.

MPA Kanwal Liaqat said that she would take up labour issues in the assembly. MPA Ghazanfar Abbas Cheema said there was an urgent need to empower the Standing Committee on Labour. MPA Shamsa Ali suggested to form a task force on labour. There was consensus amongst the participants to end the notorious labour contract system from industry. They also agreed that a satisfied workforce was a happy workforce. Participants said that labour laws’ implementation would help achieve Sustainable Development Goals. MPAs Nadeem Bara, Irfan Bashir, Saadia Tamur, Rashida Khanum and Sumera Ahmed were also present on the occasion.