Labour reps demand union rights under 1926 law

Call for legislation on right to facilitate unionism,

workplace safety & unrestricted freedom of association

The right to organise labourers for collective bargaining and industrial relations are two separate subjects. There should, thus, be a separate law for trade unions to facilitate labourers of all industrial sectors to form unions in accordance with the Trade Unions Act, 1926.

This was a resolution read out at the conclusion of a day-long National Labour Consultation 2016, organised by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) and Sindh Labour Solidarity Committee (SLSC), on Monday.

Attended by various labourer representatives, the participants urged the government to re-introduce the Trade Unions Act, abolished by dictator General Ayub Khan in 1959.

The historic legislation was passed with Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s support in 1926, during his time as president of All-India Postal Staff Union.

Addressing the consultation, the labour leaders demanded unrestricted freedom of association, massive reforms in labour welfare institutions like the EOBI (Employees Old Age Benefits Institution), Social Security Institutions and Workers Welfare Fund, a set of comprehensive legislation on occupational health and safety.

Besides, representation of genuine trade unions at official platforms including participation in international labour conferences, establishment of tripartite mechanism with equal representation of employers, employees and government was also demanded.

The participants also demanded abolishment of public sector organisations’ privatisation and the government’s privatisation policy. Wages and arrears of government sector workers, especially of the Pakistan Steel Mills, were also asked to be cleared.

Participants of the meeting also resolved to work collectively under a common platform of trade unions in the country to face the challenges labourers in Pakistan go through.

In a separate resolution, the participants also expressed their support for democratic stability, and condemned the ongoing conspiracies against elected governments.

“We vow to defend democracy that the people of Pakistan have achieved after rendering innumerable sacrifices,” read the resolution.

The participants condemned the deaths of over two dozen workers in the Gadani ship-breaking yard incident a week ago, owing to which a large number of workers also sustained severe burn injuries.

“The house opines that inadequate health and safety arrangements are the main causes of such industrial accidents in the country, and both the federal and the provincial governments have failed to put in place measures to ensure workers’ safety at work places,” a resolution stated.

So far actions and measures taken by relevant authorities show a complete lack of seriousness towards the incident and justice was unlikely to be provided through usual official inquiries, the participants noted.

A constitutional petition was also decided to be filed with respect to the indicent, in the Balochistan High Court against the province’s government.

A resolution demanded the current labour organisations to take into account the serious conditions labourers were working in and give up their differences to pave way for collective representation of all labourers on a single platform.

The trade unions were urged to induct informal sector in its fold and extend membership to all types of workers (i.e. contractual, daily wage workers, temporary workers).”

An expert on occupational health and safety Dr Asad Jamal said there were hardly any doctors who could treat diseases related to occupational accidents in Pakistan.

“Each factory or job station should have a workers’ safety policy which should be supervised by a workers’ committee.”

Not just health surveillance, but a basic medical examination of each worker was also a must, but labourers unfortunately are not provided any of these anywhere in Pakistan, Dr Jamal added.

Piler Executive Director Karamat Ali said labour movement in Pakistan was weak because only one percent of the workers were registered with trade unions.

According to the tri-partite system of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), every trade union should be ranked, in accordance of which, the unions should be represented at all levels.

He urged political parties to not establish labour wings since the practice tends to encourage differences among workers, consequently affecting their struggle for rights.

Deploring the poor occupational health and safety conditions at work places, Ali observed that, “Compensation to victims is not a substitute of labourers’ lives.”

Most of the industries did not comply with the minimum wage labour rates, as 80 percent workers do not receive minimum wages, he said, adding, that the current minimum wage for unskilled workers was Rs14,000, but according to an estimate it should at least be Rs31,000. “There should be a system to determine minimum wages in Pakistan.”

Shafiq Ghauri of the Sindh Labour Federation, member National Commission for Human Rights Anis Haroon, director labour Government of Sindh, Ghulam Hussain Bhutto, general secretary All Pakistan Workers Confederation, Khurshid Ahmed, labour representatives from Khyber Pakhunkhwa, Balochistan and Punjab,  Gohar Taj, Sultan Mohammad Khan and Aslam Wafa respectively also spoke at the event; Liaqat Sahi of the State Bank’s union also spoke on the occasion.