My Home is My Work Place

Relevant Reading - May 2010

Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Saturday announced a minimum Rs7000 salary for labourers and a policy that aims at transforming the lives of working class for a better future.

Addressing a large gathering of workers drawn from across the country at the Islamabad Convention Centre, amid loud slogans and cheers, Prime Minister Gilani apprised of the salient features of the new labour policy that was given an approval at a special cabinet meeting convened earlier in the day.

The prime minister assured that contract employees would be regularised in government departments. He also announced salaries will be paid through banks, retired registered workers will get medical
facilities, raise in pensions would be in accordance to increase in government pensions, technical education for children, manpower information centres in cities, training of trainers, para-medical
staff to get specialised training, pensionable age limit under the old-age benefit lowered to 50, smart card through Nadra so that registered workers get all facilities, Rs15,000 for out of job workers and legal support, free medical treatment for labourers.

Gilani said the contributions of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto for the labourers were well known as he not only created new employment opportunities, but also endeavoured for improving their lives.

He said the Cabinet approved the Labour Policy 2010 that was reflective of the vision of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and was an attempt to implement it practically. He said the policy would benefit around 50 million labourers playing a key role in the progress and development of the country.

Prime Minister Gilani said the credit goes to President Asif Ali Zardari for pursuing the labour friendly policies. Gilani quoted a hadith of Holy Prophet (Peace be upon Him) to pay a labour his wages before sweat dries and said it was the endeavour of his government to follow it in letter and spirit.

Gilani informed the gathering about the measures and said trilateral monitoring committees would be set up at provincial and federal level to improve working, resolve problems and increase efficiency of the labourers.

He said the workers have been given the right to have Unions and labour bodies to protect their rights.

Gilani was appreciative of all the political parties and the provincial governments for their input and endorsing the new labour policy.

The relief announced under the new labour policy may not meet the exigencies of the awful situation under which the ordinary workers struggling to survive these hard hyper-inflationary days, but it would at least give them a hope that finally a beginning has been made.

 

 

KARACHI: The new labour policy would benefit around 50 million labourers as the minimum wage has been raised to Rs 7,000, said Sindh Chief Minister’s Adviser Sharmila Farooqui on Saturday at a rally to mark Labour Day.

The adviser said, “The new labour policy has been formed as per the vision of Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. It has been designed to meet the requirements of economy, workers and employers. The workers have been given the right to seek legal remedies against dismissal, while trade union activities have been restored.”

She said the present Pakistan People’s Party government had eradicated the draconian labour laws by repealing the Removal from Services (Special Powers) Ordinance 2000 and amending the Services Tribunal Act 1973 that would protect the working classes from exploitation and arbitrary termination from service.

She also said, “The Removal from Services Ordinance was a bad law as it conferred arbitrary powers on the authorities in violation of the fundamental rights of workers, while Section 2A of the Services Tribunal Act 1973 had snatched the rights of workers to take their disputes to the Labour Courts, Labour Appellate Tribunal as well as the National Industrial Relations Commission. The workers will now enjoy job security as the president has signed two laws to repeal the Removal from Services (Special Powers) Ordinance 2000 and amend the Services Tribunal Act 1973 after adoption from the parliament houses.”

She asked all political forces to join hands with the government that was striving for the rights of the working class and the downtrodden people of the society.

“Repealing the ordinance will ensure job security for government labourers and also restore workers’ rights as the employers could no longer sack employees arbitrarily. These two laws had deprived employees of their rights to approach labour courts for a remedy, which has now been brought to their logical ends by the present government,” she added.

She further said the government was committed to protect the rights of the working class and making the workers partners in their organisations as per the vision of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.

The adviser also said the government’s decision to offer 10 percent share in the public sector organisations would benefit 500,000 employees, while thousands of youths were being trained under the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Youth Development Programme to lead the country towards new avenues of prosperity and development. She added that shares had also been handed over to the workers in the public sector corporations to make them partners and ensure their role in decision-making.

Meanwhile, glowing tributes were paid to the martyrs of Chicago’s Haymarket massacre of 1886 on the occasion of Labour Day observed everywhere in the world including Karachi.

Various workers’ organisations, associations and federations arranged workers’ rallies in different parts of the city to demonstrate their solidarity with the workers of the world in the struggle for their rights.

Prominent labour leaders addressed seminars highlighting the struggle waged by the Chicago workers.

The labour union of the Karachi Electric Supply Company held a public meeting in front of the Karachi Press Club.

Justice (retd) Rasheed A Razvi; senators Safdar Abbasi and Mushahidullah Khan; and leaders of various organisations addressed the gathering.

Sindh Baradri Alliance took out a rally from the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The rally passed through the MA Jinnah Road and the Saddar area, ending at the press club.

Pakistan Workers Federation, Sindh held a rally from the Merewether Tower to the press club where a public meeting was held.

The rally of the People’s United Workers Union, Lyari also ended at the press club.

The participants of all the rallies chanted pro-workers slogans and later in their public meetings pledged to continue their struggle for the rights of the workers.

They declared that the sacrifices of the Chicago workers would not go to waste.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution would hold a seminar at the head office of the Sindh Employees’ Social Security Institution on Monday.

 

 

ISLAMABAD, May 1: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday announced a new labour policy which raised the minimum wage to Rs7,000 per month from Rs6,000. The prime minister said the new policy was pro-worker and aimed at improving their lot.

Addressing a large gathering of workers from across the country at the Convention Centre, he said approval of the Labour Policy at a special cabinet meeting on May Day was indicative of the government’s commitment to implementing the vision of Benazir Bhutto.

Mr Gilani said the new policy was based on universal principles of equality and social justice, constitutional and international rights for the uplift of workers.

He repeated the government’s commitment to improving the lot of the working class by creating friendly conditions for them.

The prime minister assured all contract employees in government departments that their jobs would be regularised.

He said the pensionable age limit under the employees’ old age benefit scheme would be lowered to 50 years from 55 in case of mine workers.

Legal support and free medical treatment for labourers will also be part of the new policy.

Mr Gilani said private organisations would pay salary to their workers through banks, retired registered workers will get medical facilities and raise in their pensions would be in accordance with increase in government pensions.

Similarly, free technical education will be provided to workers’ children and manpower information centres will be established in different cities.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the government had restored trade unionism and workers were free to form unions and labour bodies for the protection of their rights.

He said that tripartite monitoring committees would be set up at the provincial and federal levels with the task of supervising implementation of labour laws, with particular reference to payment of wages, working environment and working time.

Earlier, speaking at the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Gilani said the government wanted to create an enabling environment for application of universal principles of equality and social justice as well as constitutional and international rights and uplift of workers.

The cabinet was informed that the last labour policy was announced in 2002.

The prime minister briefed the cabinet about his visit to Bhutan for the Saarc summit

 

 

HYDERABAD: As world prepares to celebrate the World Labour Day, millions rather billions lament their lot for not even qualifying to come under the ambit of labour laws.

Sixteen-year-old Tehmina a bangle worker is bed-ridden due to meningitis and facing disability because of the neurosurgery. The surgery has affected her left hand and leg besides slurring speech. Now, she can’t share her pool as do rest of the family, says her mother 53-year-old, Zaibunnisa.
               

People associated with bangle industry, hotels and working as domestics in homes, schools and private offices have no right to claim benefit as they don’t fall under Labour Laws.

There is no official data to confirm number but it runs in millions in our part of the world.

None have an access to services under labour laws as they are not allowed to form trade union and have no say in labour rights. Labour federations are trying to bring informal workers under the cover of law and once it’s done their exploitation would come to an end.

Informal workers are not organised as majority of them are busy in providing two square meals to their families and recreation or luxuries are far-fetched dreams to them. Mutton is beyond their means, and beef or chicken is a luxury which some enjoy on special occasions.

Tehmina’s condition is apt to make anyone sad as she lies on a cot without a sheet and constantly needs assistance for the slightest movement she intends to make. She needs a lot of money for consultation and medication.

Even the rights of those having access to labour laws are not safeguarded because of capitalist-dominated system where pocket unions kill economically, the working class. The government has fixed Rs6,000 as minimum wages which are not being implemented in majority of cases.

Sky-rocketing inflation is exposing these workers to many types of social ills while health-care and private education are dreams unfit for their eyes and public sector education, too awry, to describe.

Workers can be blamed for their plight as they are too hesitant to file a complaint or get themselves registered with the Workers Welfare Board, said convenor of sub-committee of National Assembly’s standing committee on labour.

Many workers federation are shy to get trade unions registered on the pretext that it lands a labour in trouble.

Secretary General, Khursheed Ahmed of Pakistan Workers Federation said that the government has done nothing in regard to IRA 2008.

“Bangle and domestic workers are most exploited class and they must be covered under law through legislation by government forthwith to check social exploitation”, he said.

The government’s decision to repeal Removal from Service (Special Power) Ordinance 2000 introduced by Pervez Musharraf was hailed by all. However, labourer federations flayed government’s plans to replace IRO 2002 with Industrial Relations Act 2008 without taking them on board. “Its poignant that while dictators always consulted labour leaders democratic government avoid them and thrust their decision on us”, said a noted labour leader, Qamoos Gul Khattak.

The government introduced Industrial Relations Act (IRA) 2008 in place of IRO 2002 for an interim period, promising more suitable amendments by April 2010 through IRA 2010. IRA 2008 would now stand expired and there had been no consultations with the workers federation. Employers and workers’ federation jointly worked out a consensus draft called “Workers Employer Bilateral Council of Pakistan” (Webcop) and submitted to the government, seeking amendments in proposed IRA 2008, including right to trade union in agricultural and informal ones except army and police.

Labour federations say that while the government has done away with some workers-friendly provisions of IRO 2002, it has also inserted some anti-workers clause. They viewed it with concern that while dictator’s name has been expunged and all those amendments are deleted why those harmful for workers’ right are kept intact.

“IRA 2008 is a rehash of 1969’s Labour Ordinance given by Ziaul Haq”, said Khattak, who is secretary general of Muttaheda Labour Federation. He referred to clauses that are done away with like appointment of appellate tribunal and the NIRC by respective chief justices, union’s affiliation with registered federation within two months of elections, punishment to employers, etc.

“When two stakeholders – employer and workers – have signed a consensus document then why the government avoids playing its role of facilitator”, he asked.