Pakistan’s trade unions in the streets for workers’ rights
Hundreds of people took to the streets yesterday in favour of ‘a living wage’. Trade unions denounce the exploitation of women and children as well as low wages. The Asian Human Rights Commission slam collusion between officials and businesses.
Islamabad (AsiaNews) – Hundreds of workers took part in demonstrations yesterday in various Pakistani cities to protest unfair and inhuman working conditions that violate international labour conventions as well as national laws.
Under the auspices of the country’s trade unions, protesters marched for ‘a living wage’, joined by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC).
“Throughout the world, the day is marked to commemorate the struggle of the working class,” the AHRC said in a statement. In “Pakistan however, that class is kept deliberately unaware of its rights. When the ruling elite becomes an integral part of the state, the state becomes the exploiter.”
Other associations also demonstrated on behalf of workers and their rights. They included the Association of Women for Awareness and Motivation (AWAM), Peace and Human Development-Pakistan (PHD-Pak), the Awami Workers Party (AWP), the Labour Qaumi Movement (LQM) and Bhatta Mazdoor Union (BMU).
“Women face exploitation in informal employment,” said AWAM director Nazia Sardar. For this reason, “the government must ratify ILO conventions protecting rights of home-based workers (ILO C-177) and domestic workers”.
Pakistan ratified the International Labour Organization (ILO) Labour Inspection Convention of 1947, the AHRC said. However, since then, its authorities have failed to implement it through inspections into workers’ labour conditions.
In 2010, by virtue of the 18th constitutional amendment, Pakistan’s federal government devolved its power of labour legislation to the provinces. This has resulted in ambiguity in the application of laws and in disputes.
“Despite a plethora of (32) labour laws, the labouring class is denied their right to safe working environments and better pay,” the AHRC said. What is more, Pakistani wages are among the lowest in the world, trade unions complain.
“The living wage differs from the minimum wage set by the government, as minimum wage fails to meet the requirements of a worker to have a basic quality of life, and fight poverty,” said human rights activist Naseem Anthony.
“The living wage is the minimum income necessary for a worker to afford the basic needs of his family to maintain a safe, decent standard of living within the community such as food, clothing, utilities, education, health care and transport,” said PHD-Pak director Suneel Malik.
Unions and activists agree that kiln sector is particularly bad where debt bondage is widespread.
In many Kiln plants, workers are forced to pay off debts before they can leave. The net effects has been that more than two million people or 1.13 per cent of the entire population lives in bondage.
Another scourge is child labour. According to the ILO, 12 million children work in Pakistan, this despite a 1991 law that bans child labour. Child workers are especially prised in construction.
For activists, lack of enforcement of existing laws is one of the problems. The other is outdated legislation.
For the AHRC, “The main reason for the lack of implementation of the OSH (Occupational Safety and Health) laws is the collusion of state officials with the owners affiliated with the political elite who cut cost of production at the cost of the workers’ life and health.”
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