LAHORE
Labour Education Foundation organised a national convention of home-based workers in Alhamra Cultural Complex Lahore on Tuesday. More than 500 home-based workers leaders participated in the convention. They represented 10 district unions and provincial unions of workers from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces.
Before starting the Convention, one minute silence was observed by participants to pay tribute to workers died in the Sundar factory incident.
Expressing their views, leaders of home-based workers highlighted the problems faced by them. They not only highlighted their economic issues but also described discrimination faced by them being women in this male dominated society. They vowed to continue their struggle for recognition as workers under the labour laws, as major contributors to the economy of Pakistan and in their homes.
Shahnaz Iqbal, Associate Director Labour Education Foundation briefed the participants about LEF efforts to organise and educate home-based workers. She said that due to government policies, more and more workers were becoming part of informal sector and more than 75 percent are women. Women are forced to work from home and are being paid very low wages.
Home-based Women Workers Union President in KP Ms Tajmina highlighted different levels of discrimination faced by women workers; at homes and at workplaces, in wages and in decision making. She said women were working hard to meet both ends, they were contributing equally for survival of their families but these hidden workers were not given their due rights by the governments and employers.
Speaking on the occasion, Ume-Laila Azhar said that 15 years ago the issue of home-based workers was taken up by some other NGOs. Their issues are being highlighted by NGOs and unions but government has no interest in taking concrete steps for solution of their problems. She said the work on provincial policy had been finalised with Department of Labour
Punjab but there was no political interest of the Punjab government to take up this policy for approval from the Assembly.
Senior social and political activist Mehnaz Rafi said that home-based workers would have to take to the streets to get their rights. Niaz Khan shared unionisation experiences of carpet and other sectors. He urged the government to recognise share of home-based workers in the economy of Pakistan and demanded for provision of all labour rights to them. Jalvat Ali informed the participants about the process of unionisation and formation of the federation at national level. She informed that more than 7,500 home-based workers were members of the federation at the moment and expressed her resolve to organise more workers in coming year. Khalid Mahmood, Director Labour Education Foundation, expressed resolve to organise more and more home-based workers in unions. He highlighted importance of organising women workers in unions to strengthen the labour movement in Pakistan.