‘For workers’ betterment, contract system must end’

Karachi
Labourers working in most of the industries are left at the mercy of market forces that compel them work on a contract basis with less income and facilities than permanent workers in an industry.
Violating the labour laws, the oppressing market rules are set by big corporations, multinational companies and international financial institutions to maximise their profits by consuming their labours in the production processes.
“Permanent jobs, good wages, work safety and health facilities are under attack in whole world and industries have launched the contract labour system to with full force which is an open violation of the labour laws,” said Nasir Mehmood, the deputy general secretary of the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), on Wednesday. He was speaking at a demonstration staged by the NTUF on the occasion of the “International Decent Work Day” at the Karachi Press Club.
Workers, trade union leaders and civil society members gathered in large numbers and demanded of the government to allow workers form their unions and deploy collective bargaining agents in all factories, industries and workplace.
They also demanded that the contract system of labour should be disposed of and their basic rights should be ensured.
The NTUF also carried out rallies in several cities and towns, including Hyderabad, Multan and Faislabad.
The rally taken out in Karachi was led by NTUF country president Muhammad Rafiq Baloch.
Gul Rehman, the president of the Workers Right Movement, said more than 75 percent of the labour in Pakistan was working in informal sector where the contract system and involvement of a third party contractor had deprived them of their basic and legal rights.
“The working hours span over 12 to 16 hours a day and a large number of labours are deprived of their social security, health facilities, right of pension and old age benefits.”
Others speakers said despite the verdict of the Pakistan Supreme Court against the contract labour, the capitalists were reluctant to end the cruel system as they were enjoying a covert support from the government in this regard.
They said the international decent work day was of high importance as labours from all over the world pledged to struggle against the contract system and the precarious work on that day.
A charter of demand was also presented at the occasion. It included the demand of ending the contract system and issuing appointment letters to all workers; right of forming labour unions; providing health and safety facilities at workplaces; setting minimum wage of Rs20,000 per month and a proportional raise with hike in prices; and put an end to privatisation of public sector entities.