NIRC to host Pakistan’s first Labour Day conference on May 1

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Industrial Relations Council (NIRC) will host its International Labour Day Conference under the theme “Navigating Change with Harmony” to foster dialogue and consultation on labour rights, industrial harmony and labour legislation aligned with international standards.

The conference will be presided over by NIRC Chairman Justice (retd) Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui and will bring together a distinguished gathering of legal experts, justices of the Supreme Court, federal ministers, leaders of trade unions, employers from major industries and representatives from the International Labour Organization (ILO).

NIRC Chairman Justice Siddiqui will deliver the opening address, followed by a keynote speech from Barrister Zafarullah Khan, Advocate Supreme Court, on “Rights and Obligations of Workers and Employers in Islam.”

Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail of the Supreme Court of Pakistan will deliver a major address titled “The Role of Pakistan’s Superior Courts in Safeguarding Workers’ Rights.”

The conference will feature multiple sessions addressing critical themes including employer-worker relations, industrial dialogue, and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

The first technical session will be chaired by Justice (R) Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday, former Supreme Court Judge, and will feature a panel of prominent industrial employers and labor union leaders. The session will be moderated by Salman Mansoor Siddique, General Secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

The second technical session will focus on “Redressal of Grievances Under the Industrial Relations Act 2012” and “Pakistan’s Commitments to ILO Conventions.” It will be chaired by Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development, with Advocate Imran Shafiq serving as the mediator. The closing session will center on “Efforts of the State of Pakistan to Align Labour Laws with Global Standards,” and will include addresses from Federal Minister for Law & Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar, Justice Jawad Hassan of the Lahore High Court, and renowned labor affairs expert Mr. Iftikhar Ahmed. To honor the guests, souvenirs and floral bouquets will be presented at the end of the sessions, followed by a luncheon for all participants.

Speaking ahead of the conference, Chairman NIRC Justice (R) Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui said the event marks a historic milestone in the promotion of labor rights and industrial harmony in Pakistan.