The provincial workshop on 'Labour Protection Policy' on Tuesday called for setting up a national institution for workers' welfare by merging the different institutions like EOBI, Social Security, PWWBs etc working for workers' welfare in the country.
The workshop recommended that the 'board' of the proposed institution should comprise government officials and representatives of employers and employees.
It suggested that contributions, such as social security, EOBI, education cess, WPPF and WWF, should be consolidated and distributed by this new institution.
The workshop adopted a host of proposals following four working groups sessions on social security and living conditions, basic rights and coverage, working conditions and environment and compliance and capacity building.
The working groups' sessions, participated by government officials, representatives of employers, employees and NGOs, deliberated at length upon the draft of 'labour protection policy.
The final draft of recommendations was presented at the concluding session, which was chaired by Sindh Minister for Planning & Development Shoaib Bokhari.
About social security issue, it proposed for simplification of procedures to get medical treatment under social security and ensuring transparency in social security registration.
"The contributions of social security should be based on fixed assets, or capital, or total wages, or landing (for agriculture sector)," the workshop proposed.
To give all benefits to workers, it was suggested that a universal card of workers on the pattern of Nadra should be issued by the proposed national 'institute' and should be valid throughout Pakistan with extending of unemployment insurance cover to workers by national institute.
It should work in co-ordination with other agencies for improvement of living conditions of workers through awareness and provision of cheap and standardised accommodation to workers.
On working conditions and environment, the workshop called for making the National Wage Commission more effective, while on working hours issue it said that 48 working hours per week might be continued subject to maximum of 12 hours on any working day.
While accepting the right of employers to reduce the size of the workforce in the interest of efficiency and competitiveness, the participants urged for doing this in a transparent manner, based on the principles of fairness and consultation.
With respect to compliance and capacity building, it underlined the need to simplify the labour laws with integrated system of inspection.
"Private sector should be involved in inspections, and limits of inspections should be prescribed ie annual or bi-annual", it asserted.
It said that capacity building of labour department and employers and workers should be done while contractors should be registered and put to inspection.
On basic rights & converge, it suggested registration of service provider and contractor with the labour department.
The rate of minimum pension should be equal to minimum wage, for which government and employer should contribute equally, the workshop suggested, and urged for implementation of minimum wage announced by government in letter and spirit.
"The minimum wage of worker should be linked with the inflation rate as declared by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)," it added.
Shoaib Bokhari said that a satisfied and contended worker surely helps to expand production and improve quality.
He said that the relations between entrepreneurs and industrialists and workers should be harmonious, co-operative and mutually beneficial. "Building up a climate of trust between workers and their employers will be helpful for rapid industrialisation", he added.
Earlier, Federal Labour Secretary Asif Hayat and others also spoke.
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