Sindh to push for implementation of labour laws

GSP plus status

KARACHI: Sindh government has decided to push the federal capital to implement the labour laws for keeping up the benefits under the generalised scheme of preferences (GSP) plus status of the European Union (EU), a senior official said on Thursday.

“The provincial government will take up the matter with the federal government as some of the conditions (are related) with the federation,” said Saeed Ghani, advisor on human resource and labour to the provincial chief minister.

Labour has become a provincial subject after the 18th amendment into the constitution. However, there are still some concerns about the transfer of the labour-related matters to the provincial domain.

“Implementation of the labour laws is prerequisite for availing GSP plus status,” Ghani said, talking with the office bearers of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI). Under the GSP plus status, allowing duty free access for a certain Pakistani products to 28-countries EU block up to 2023, the country needs to comply with the 27 conventions, including related to labour.

Ghani further said the issue of trans-provincial industrial establishment will also be discussed with the federal as well as provincial governments to bring uniformity into the laws. Currently, an industrial unit faces diversified laws, while operating at different locations across the country. The 18th amendment empowers the provinces to have their own employees-old age benefits institutions.

The advisor said the welfare of workers is linked with the industrial growth.  He said the number of registered workers is less than one million in Karachi as against the claims of industrialists of five million working in the seven industrial zones in the city. 

He advised the industries to ensure registration of all their workers, “which will improve the facilitation.” In order to facilitate workers, he said the provincial government has arranged social security card to be issued by the National Database Registration Authority. The social security card will have details of workers and their family members to enable them to avail the facilities at the social security institutions.

The official further said that he was against the privatisation of the public sector enterprises but not against the private sector. On flawed laws, he said once a law is enacted an amendment is difficult. He, however, asked the industrialists to spot on the lacunas.

Ghani, who is also a senator, opposed the proposals for the government to reconsider the independent contractual employment, which is forbidden. “The provision of independent contractual labour was misused in the past and deprived the workers of their rights,” he added.—Shahnawaz Akhter