Daily Times

LAHORE: Home-based workers held a protest outside the Lahore Press Club (LPC) on Thursday and demanded the government to approve the long awaited Home-based Workers (HBW) policy.

Hundreds of home-based workers from Lahore and Kasur were present on the occasion, demanding the Punjab government to approval and implement HBW policy, which is pending for three years now. “The Punjab government is playing delay tactics, and they don’t seem interested in empowering domestic workers. We are living under immense hardships but no policy or law is passed to address our grievances. There are no specific schemes for us, no complaint mechanism, and not a single channel that can ascertain our wages,” lamented a protesting women worker.

The protesters were of the view that the Punjab chief minister must announce the pending HBW policy on International Labour day, adding that home-based workers, trade unions and CSO representatives would hold a joint demonstration if their demands are neglected again. This was the third demo of HBWs in one month.

“Millions of domestic workers are awaiting for approval of legislation for them, which would protect their basic rights,” said Fazaleet from Kasur. “We will fight for our rights and will march from Kasur to Lahore if our policy is not approved,” she added.

HBWs have been waiting for many years and the government is not ready to listen to us, said Nazali Javed, a worker, while chanting slogans against the negligence of the provincial government.

“We are hard workers and our children have right to live better lives. Our children also have right to education but, in the government’s data, we are not even counted,” said a protesting worker from Lahore. “We are not getting minimum wages despite working extremely hard, while the politicians are doing nothing to provide us justice. We want the government to uplift status of domestic workers, besides allocating a quota for them in health and housing schemes.”

South Asia Partnership -Pakistan Deputy Director Irfan Mufti criticised the Punjab government’s stance of being pro-poor and pro-women. “The government had vowed many times for bringing the informal sector into regulation and protection; but all in vain, he added.

Mufti said that the Labour Policy of Punjab, finalised and approved in 2015, calls for the protection of home-based workers, adding that HBWs form a major portion of the informal sector that needs exclusive legislative cover.

Azra Shaad from Women Workers Helpline said that Women Empowerment Package 2012 included the HBW policy but till date Punjab government has failed to fulfil its commitment for protecting millions of domestic workers in the province.

“HBWs should come under the social protection mechanism. The Punjab economic growth strategy should look into the development of informal workers and utilise its potential for generating revenue for the province,” said Ume Laila Azhar, a representative of HomeNet Pakistan. She further said that the government should proactively approve and adopt the HBW policy and legislation, which has been finalised and awaiting approval of the cabinet.