KARACHI: A session of stakeholders here Wednesday stressed the need of pacing up the process of registration of home-based workers.
As per details, Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) arranged a ceremony to hand over the registration card machine and stationery for registration of home-based workers to the Sindh Labor Department at a local hotel. Sindh Labour Secretary Laeeq Ahmed, senior officers of Labour Department, trade union leaders and a large number of women home-based workers attended the ceremony.
Moderating the event, general secretary of HBWWF Zahra Khan shed light on the struggle of home-based women workers in Sindh and said that after the passing of Home-Based Workers Act by the Sindh Assembly now it is a must that the process of registration of home based workers and issuing them labor cards should be accelerated.
Nasir Mansoor, general secretary National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) congratulated the HBWWF for raising awareness that resulted in the passage of landmark Sindh home based workers Act. He said the work for rights of home based workers was started in India and Nepal much before such work started in Pakistan, but the credit goes to Pakistan and especially Sindh province where the law for home based workers was passed. He said that the provincial government of the PPP has always showed positivity where the matters of labor rights are concerned. He said now the home-based workers can say confidently that like other labors they also enjoy the same legal rights and privileges under the labor laws.
He said now when the law has already been passed there is a need to get the HBWs registered. He said the GSP plus status given to Pakistan is also the result of these gender-equity based labor laws. He said that the other provinces should follow suit of Sindh and initiate legislation for home based workers and their registration. He asked that the pending meeting of the Council under the HBWs Act should be summoned at the earliest. He said we expect that the labor department would also play its vital role in the matter of minimum wages in Sindh. He said in Pakistan there is no better legislation regarding the home based worker and we should showcase this matter to improve the soft image of the country.
Zahra Khan said that we started our struggle ten years ago and in 2013 work began on home-based policy. She said that in this law was finally passed by the Sindh Assembly in 1918 and in 2020 its rules were framed. She said that Sindh is also the first province where rates of home based workers of glass bangle industry were notified. She said that meeting of governing body under the HBWs Act should be held soon. She said they have already started the process of registration of home based workers and some 2000 registration forms have already been deposited with the Sindh labor department for verification and issuance of labor cards.
Labor laws consultant Gulfam Nabi Memon said that all stakeholders played a great role to get passed the HBWs Act. He said Pakistan is the first country where a separate law for home based workers is passed. He said that the UN Women also rendered valuable assistance to the home based workers in this legislation. He said now the HBWWF has also provided Sindh Labor Department the facility of card printing machine which would help in pacing up the process of registration and issuing labor cards.
Resident Director of Aurat Foundation Mehnaz Rehman said that there is a huge contribution of women workers in passage of the HBWs Act. She said it was the brainchild of PILER and Aurat Foundation and the energetic team of Zahra Khan played a heroic role in getting passed this law.
Karamat Ali, convener of National Labor Council said every year the meeting of tripartite labor council should be held to review previous decision and assess implementation on them. He said four years have passed but this meeting is yet to be held. He said every worker should have a right to the universal cover of social security. He said that Quaid e Azam played a vital role in getting passed the India Trade Union Act in 1926. He said that sadly the military government of General Ayub Khan ended this law. He asked for holding regular meetings of labor-related committees.
Habibuddin Jundiai president of Peoples Labor Bureau said that the registration of HBWs should be accelerated. He said bureaucracy often uses delaying tactics but no such delays should be made in registration of HBWs. He said Sindh is the industrial face of Pakistan. He said many trade unions are being shifted to other provinces under trans-provincial arrangements which should be stopped. He condemned the bids to fan linguistic hatreds in Sindh.
Secretary Sindh Labor Department Laeeq Ahmed said that it greatly motivates him to see that stockholders are playing a great role in getting resolved the issues of labors. He thanked the HBWWF for providing them card printing machines. He said we are fortunate that civil society fully support the Sindh labor department. He said lawmaking is easy but implementation of laws is a difficult process.
He assured all out support of his department in registration process of home based workers and resolving other issues of them. On the occasion, card printing machine and other accessories were formally handed over to the Sindh labor department. Sibtain Mughal deputy director labor, Dr Zahid Gulzar regional director labor, Qazi Khizr, Saeed Baloch and others were also present.