KARACHI: Trade unions and labour leaders have demanded the government to pay an unemployment allowance to all those workers who have lost their jobs during Coronavirus and universalize the social security by making changes in the Constitution.
Addressing a joint press conference at Karachi Press Club on Friday afternoon, the labour leaders including Karamat Ali (Pakistan Institute of Labor Education and Research), Habib-ud-Din Junaidi (President People’s Labor Bureau, Sindh), Nasir Mansoor (National Trade Union Federation), Farhat Parveen (NOW Communities), Zahra Khan (Home Based Women Workers Federation), Jannat Hussain (Pakistan Trade Unions Defence Campaign) pointed out that the workers are hit hard due to the COVID-19 and they are not receiving any support from the government.
Merely paying a small amount through Ehsaas programme to a small number of poor is not a solution and this system is faulty. All the workers should be registered through NADRA and unemployment allowance be paid through social security institutions.
Karamat Ali said the main demand of the Chicago workers was that the working hours should be maximum 8 hours. After this movement, their demand was accepted and after World War II, many conventions were passed by ILO to facilitate the work of the workers. The first convention of the ILO is pertaining to about 8 hours of work. Even in Pakistan, it is illegal to take more than eight hours of work from the workers, but in a reality, the workers are forced to work for 10 to 12 hours and they are deprived of overtimes. Especially in the private sector, 12 hours of work is considered as normal, through this why the owners of private companies save time and engage fewer workers which endanger workers health and safety.
For the past decades, the domestic economic policies of various governments in Pakistan have been focused on meeting the IMF’s requirements, which has led to a steady increase in non-development expenditures, and now the situation is that foreign loans have touched 90% of the country’s GDP. While education, health and public welfare facilities have been reduced and disrupted due to cut in the development budget. The worst effect of all these policies has been on the working and middle class. Unemployment has risen sharply in the country and the contract system for jobs has flourished, which has led to a huge increase in insecurity in the society.
Habibuddin Junaidi said workers in almost every sector of the economy, including agriculture, industry, services and the media, are either unemployed or have had their wages/salaries slashed drastically. The country’s labour laws are not being implemented, and the federal and provincial governments have turned a blind eye.
He said it is also a fact that the rights of citizens in The Constitution of Pakistan are not available to a large number of people. In principle, our country has a tripartite system through which all stakeholders, including employers, mercenaries and government representatives sit together to formulate policies and laws in a democratic manner, but unfortunately in Pakistan this system is also degraded.
Nasir Mansoor said there are very few organized workers and employers’ organizations in Pakistan. As a matter of the fact our trade union movement very weak, which can be gauged from the fact that only about one percent of workers in Pakistan are organized in trade unions.
Speaking on the occasion, Ms. Farhat Parveen said the government agencies mandated to provide fundamental rights and welfare are not able to carry out their work effectively, which is why a large majority of the workers are unable to benefit from these institutions.
She demanded that the all ILO conventions ratified by Pakistan should be implemented it should be ensured that and government agencies to be required to ensure compliance with these laws. It is the responsibility of the government to provide a conducive environment for union formation and to encourage organization in all areas.
Ms. Zehra Khan said it is also imperative for the trade unions themselves to be organized in the country. The heads of organizations also have a responsibility to educate their members and strive to be organized on a nationwide platform.
Even before COVID-19, the economic situation in the whole world, including Pakistan, was not good for many years, but due to Corona, it has become more chaotic. The most disenfranchised are the working class who already do not receive even the minimum wage.
Jannat Hussain He was already suffering from financial difficulties. After the code, the lockdown has made his condition worse. If this situation is not addressed, there is a danger of anarchy spreading in the country due to which the entire society will have to suffer the consequences.
“We call on the government and employers’ organizations to strengthen the tripartite system and create an atmosphere of mutual cooperation among all stakeholders,” she said.
There has been no increase in the minimum wage rate in Pakistan during the current financial year, only the Punjab government has issued a notification to increase the minimum wage this week, while the Sindh government has not yet increased the wages. Many meetings have been held in this regard. Last year, no increase was made by any provincial government on the occasion of Labor Day and an excuse of lockdown was made.
On the occasion of Labor Day, all the provincial governments should announce a significant increase in the minimum wage because inflation rate is quite high. In the past, trade unions have been demanding to fix the minimum wage for workers equal to one tola of gold, but in these circumstances the wages should be set at a minimum of Rs 35,000 per month or equal to living wage. I should be the same in each province.
Co-operation is also urgently needed in the South Asia region, where a majority of the population is suffering due to Corona Pandemic. “We believe that conflicts in the South Asia region can be resolved peacefully on a regional basis together. And there is an urgent need to develop a joint strategy based on the region.”