Trade union leaders criticize EU countries and ILO for criminally ignoring violation of workers’ rights in Pakistan
Sindh Courier Report
Karachi: A protest demo of workers here Monday regretting that the industrialists and employers are bent to exploit their workers, demanded immediate implementation of the minimum wages as announced by the government.
The demo jointly arranged by the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) and Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) was led by NTUF leader Riaz Abbasi, Comrade Gul Rehman, Zahra Khan of HBWWF and Saeeda Khatoon of Association of the Affectees of Baldia factory fire. A large number of workers, trade unions leaders and human rights activists attended the demo.
Nasir Mansoor of NTUF said that 95percent of employers are involved in the crime of not paying the minimum wages to their workers. This shows their mala fide intentions towards workers as well as their disrespect to the law of land. He further said that 95percent of workers are not getting the minimum wages as announced by the government, but sadly the related government departments have become silent spectators.
He added that on one hand the employers exploit their workers and compel them to work on meagre wages from Rs.10000 to Rs.14000 per month and on the other hand they refuse to improve inhuman working conditions in their factories and industries. They try to maximize their profits and wealth at the cost of their workers. They have left no stone unturned to make their factories and workplaces virtual death chambers for the workers.
Mansoor said that it has been seen that after the Baldia factory fire tragedy no action was taken against the factory owners and negligent officers of labor department. “Now, we see that the persons responsible for the death of workers in Mehran Town factory fire are not arrested nor any action taken against them.” He said that the labor organizations think if this country is to be made a truly progressive industrialized country, it would not be possible unless the workers are given their due rights as per law and Constitution and international agreements and standards.
Karamat Ali of National Labor Council said that Pakistan is getting incentives from the European Union under GSP-plus. It assures implementation of ILO labor standards, but practically the open violation of these agreements and conventions has been continuing. Sadly, the EU countries are criminally ignoring the open violations of these labor standards, while the ILO is also cooperating with these industrialists who are openly defying the local and international labor laws.
Habibuddin Junaidi of PLB said that due to anti-people policies of the sitting government more than twenty million more people have gone beneath the poverty line in last two years. About 15 million workers have lost their jobs fully or partially. It was the need of the hour to give more employment opportunities to citizens but sadly due to a court order, more than 16000 government employees were sacked with a stroke of pen. Resultantly, the sacked employees and their families are compelled to commit self-immolations in front of court houses.
Liaquat Sahi of DWU of State bank said that if the present inflation rate is taken into account, at least Rs.40000 per month minimum wage should have be given to workers, besides the free of cost social security and old age pension, but sadly our industrialists are not ready to give their workers the minimum wages or get them registered with social security and old age benefits institutions. The employees of labor and social security departments fully support the industrialists and employers in this illegal act. The crimes of factory owners are not just limited to this but they also compel their workers to work in dangerous working conditions which are totally against the local laws and international health and safety standards. Resultantly, the incidents at the workplaces are increasing sharply.
Zehra Khan of HBWWF said as per a conservative estimate in Pakistan 41 workers out of every 1000 workers face industrial mishaps, which means that every year more than 3,000,000 workers get injured in the industrial incidents. However, there is no proper data about the death of workers in workplace mishaps. In these circumstances it has become necessary to ink an accord like Bangladesh accord to improve the working conditions.
She warned the government and industrialists to stop physical and economic murder of workers. She urged the courts not to provide opportunities to government to sack more employees.
Speakers in the protest warned that if the present behavior of violation of law and Constitution and labour rights as per international standards and agreements is not stopped, the workers would have no choice but to launch a resistance movement.
The participants of the protest demo demanded to implement the minimum wages of Rs25000 per month as announced by the government of Sindh, because during last two years the minimum wages were not raised.
They demanded to arrest the accused of Mehran Town factory fire and give a compensation of Rs.2.5 million to every bereaved family, besides lifelong pension and other perks as per law.
They asked to modernize labor inspection process to ensure safety at workplaces.
They demanded from the elected representatives to ensure immediate reinstitution of 16000 sacked employees by chalking out a joint strategy in Parliament.
They asked to ink a “Pakistan Accord” for safety of workers and to stop the growing industrial mishaps in Pakistan and under which all local and international companies and brands should be made bound to implement labor laws and health and safety standards.
Those spoke included Gul Rahman and Riaz Abbadi of NTUF, Khizr Qazi of HRCP, Saeeda Khatoon of Association of the Affectees of Baldia factory fire, Saira Feroz of Untied HBWs Union, Ashghar Dasti intellectual, Aqib Hussain, Owais Jatoi and others.
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Sindh Courier
