LAHORE : The government has been urged to check the exploitation of home-based workers and ensure fair wages and benefits for them.
An ngo said this in a statement issued on Saturday. It said HomeNet Pakistan (HNP) clarified the scope and application of benefits under the Home-Based Workers Act 2023 (the Act). HNP emphasised that these benefits are exclusively applicable to secured home-based workers. HNP explained that under section 2(t) of the Act, a secured home-based worker is defined as “a person who performs home-based work in respect of whom contributions are or were payable under the Act, but does not include a person performing home-based work on wages exceeding the wage limits determined by the government.”
Ume Laila, Executive Director of HomeNet Pakistan, stated that workers earning above the government-set wage limits are not covered by the Act. Consequently, these workers do not receive any benefits or claims under the Act. This provision, Laila noted, allows for potential exploitation where employers might set wages just above the maximum limit, excluding workers from protections. HomeNet Pakistan is calling on the government to address this loophole to prevent exploitation. It urges a review and adjustment of wage limits and stricter enforcement to ensure that all home-based workers receive fair wages and benefits.
Ume Laila appreciated Pakistan’s pioneering step in South Asia by introducing protective legislation for home-based workers, making it the first country in the region to take such measures. The Punjab Home-Based Workers Act 2023 is landmark legislation aimed at safeguarding the rights and welfare of these workers. However, significant challenges remain in implementing the Act.
HomeNet Pakistan is organising a policy dialogue to address these challenges, focusing on mainstreaming home-based workers from the informal economy into the major labor dialogue. This initiative aims to legally recognise home workers, particularly women, and expand opportunities in sectors like garment and textile.
Laila emphasised the importance of this dialogue to foster larger sensitization and capacity building for home workers and stakeholders.
“Our goal is to highlight the presence of home workers within supply chains and initiate productive discussions among stakeholders, including Parliamentarians,” she stated. The policy dialogue aims to ensure collective actions for the inclusion and protection of home-based workers, focusing on practical steps to overcome existing obstacles in implementing the Act. HomeNet Pakistan remains committed to advocating for the rights and welfare of home-based workers.
Begum Zakia Shahnawaz Khan, PMLN MPA, appreciated the efforts made by the Punjab government to include home-based workers under the labour framework. She acknowledged the need for amendments for better implementation.
Ms Uzma Kardar of PMLN pointed out the lack of coordination between relevant departments and institutions as a major reason for the weak implementation of legislation protecting women and backward classes. She committed raising a voice in the assembly for the Home-Based Workers Act.