In Pakistan, bonded labour exists in several forms, especially in the rural areas and in certain disadvantaged geographic regions. The bonded labour problem is a consequence of poverty, backwardness, illiteracy and old customs. Workers in the brick kiln industry are among the most vulnerable segments of the workforce. Invariably located on the outskirts of many cities and towns in Pakistan, this industry exclusively utilises those under debt bondage. Women comprise a substantial majority of debt-bonded workers. Due to the remoteness of brick kilns, its workers do not receive any support or services including education, healthcare, financial support and other welfare provided by the state to its citizens.
The phenomenon of bonded labour is very common in the brick kiln sector, in all the provinces of Pakistan, with a majority of brick kilns located in Punjab. Despite the judgment of the Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan and the promulgation of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1992 and Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Rules 1995, complaints of bonded labour continue to be reported in society. The government of Pakistan has announced a national policy and plan of action on bonded labour.
The gender dimension of the problem has so far remained largely ignored. While both genders are vulnerable to bondage, it is the women who bear the brunt of advances and loans received by their men folk. As women have little influence in the household’s monetary matters and are often illiterate, with restrictions on their mobility, they are vulnerable to the subjection of bonded labour. Amna Bhatti, as a brick kiln worker, spent 50 years of her life shaping mud into bricks in a major brick kiln based in Mandra, Rawalpindi. Since she was illiterate she could not do any other work. She came to know of a nearby brick kiln and went there in search of work and shelter. She started by paying off her parents’ debt and now she is paying off her late husband’s. She will probably spend the rest of her life as a bonded labourer. Mrs Bhatti was 10 when she started working at the kiln to pay off her parents’ debt. Now, at 60, she is paying off Rs 250,000, a debt her deceased husband left behind when he died 12 years ago.
The brick kilns are classified as factories under the Factories Act 1934. The factories have to be registered under this act with the directorate of labour welfare, which is the inspectorate of factories. However, due to their rural and distant locations, very few brick kilns have registered as factories and continue to operate in the informal sector. Although, in 2007, subsequent to the order of the SC and under the directions of the government of Punjab, the provincial government’s district level units of the labour and human resource department launched a vigourous campaign to register brick kilns under the Factories Act 1934.
One becomes a bonded labourer when one is made to work towards repayment of a loan. This loan is often taken by a family member who has since died. There are no reliable records and statistics on the number of Pakistanis living and working as bonded labourers.
Inspecting officers have paid visits to brick kilns and have collected data about employment and ownership, and have filed papers for their registration. According to the registration data compiled by the directorate of labour welfare, there are a total of 3,836 brick kilns in Punjab. Out of these, 3,579 kilns, 97,455 workers were registered. The remaining 257 kilns were not registered till September 2008 due to various reasons including incomplete information or closure of the work at the kiln.
Today, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates a minimum of 11.7 million people are forced into bonded labour in the Asia-Pacific region while over one million men, women and children are employed as bonded labourers in brick kilns. Most of them are in debt bondage. Ali Raza, the Punjab labour officer at the department says, “Until recently, there was no concept of social security for the brick kiln workers. In fact, as highlighted in another session on social security, only 2.1 million of the 57 million workers in Pakistan have access to social security.” The brick kiln workers and their families reside in the shelters provided by the brick kiln owners. These shelters are poorly maintained, the water supply is inadequate, it is cramped and animals and humans live together.
Slavery is alive in the 21st century. In an era in which advancements in human rights are spreading far and wide, many Pakistani women are still caught in the vicious circle of bonded labour. There is an urgent need to bring education and literacy to the brick kiln workers. This is one action that can greatly reduce bonded labour in society. Education is the greatest tool for empowerment. Girls’ education is even more vital as girls can educate the next generations; educated girls are not likely to be exploited through bondage. There is a need to provide adequate and hygienic housing facilities at the brick kilns. The lack of toilet facilities increases the vulnerability of female workers to harassment.
The major cause of bonded labour is the economic dependence of the families on advances and loans from the employers. By increasing the access of women to microfinance, they can be empowered and their exploitation checked. The workers and family members in the brick kilns and public at large, and other stakeholders, need to be made aware of the gender dimensions of the work in brick kilns. Awareness campaigns, through documentaries, illustrated booklets, leaflets, posters and street theatre can be launched in order to undermine this malaise.
The writer is a freelance columnist and can be reached at [email protected]