Labour leaders call for ensuring social security for agricultural workers

Labour rights activists and agriculture workers at a consultation demanded speedy legislation on labour laws and social security nets in the agriculture sector.

The Sindh Community Foundation (SCF) and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) organised regional stakeholders’ dialogue on gaps and challenges regarding laws for protecting the women agriculture workers. Speakers at the event pointed out that lack of rules of business was the main hurdle in the implementation of the Sindh Women Agriculture Workers Protection Act 2020.

Sindh Labour Secretary told the event that the Sindh government was committed to improving the conditions of labour in the province and urged the labour rights organisation to identify gaps in the law.

He said Sindh was leading among the other provinces in terms of legislation after the 18th amendment.

HRCP Co-chairperson Asad Iqbal Butt said women labourers working in the agriculture sector worked in very hot weather amid poor health and safety measures. He added that the social structure was also involved in the exploitation of rights of the agricultural workers in the province.

“All the labour rights organisations should work together; there is a lot of need to work on women empowerment in all sectors,” he said.

Acknowledging the Sindh government’s pro-workers legislation, SCF’s Javed Soz said cotton workers were working in working conditions and landowners did not provide them facilities. “Therefore, they need to be included in social security and other social support schemes,” he said.

He suggested that a portion of the social security amount should be provided by the government as the agriculture workers received unfair wages and earned low income to feed their family members.

Expressing concern over poor and slower implementation of laws in Sindh, Mahnaz Rahman of the Aurat Foundation said the registration of female agricultural workers should be initiated.

Nasir Mansoor of the National Trade Union Federation said the law for the women workers of the agricultural sector had ambiguities and loopholes and it overlapped with the Sindh Industrial Relations Act that gave workers the right to association.

He said procedures and rules had not been placed yet which was a necessary part of the law.

According to Mansoor, only 620,000 labourers were registered and only 300,000 had access to social security. He suggested that the government may impose a 1 or 2 per cent tax on producers and factory owners to compensate the amount for the social security of workers.

Zulfiqar Shah of the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, Shahnaz Sheedi of the South Asia Partnership Pakistan, Nagina Junejo and others also spoke at the consultation.

A committee comprising labour rights organisations was also formed to interact with the government for improvements in laws.

A group of young girls from cotton workers’ families also performed a theatre at the event in which they

depicted worst conditions of female cotton workers.