79 percent of labour force living below poverty line: PWF

79 percent young labour force in Pakistan living below poverty line, and majority of them has no access to education beyond Primary Level, veteran general secretary Pakistan Workers' Federation Khurshid Ahmad said here on Friday. He was addressing a national conference, organised by "Pakistan Workers' Federation" here on the eve of commemoration of 90th anniversary of the International Labour Organisation here.
He said rising unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, feudalism and price hike are the "social atom bomb", which could explode anytime if corrective measures were not taken on priority basis. He said the government of Pakistan being signatory to ILO Convention should amend its Labour Laws including Industrial Relation Act 2008 and Section 27/B Banking Companies Ordinance and promote the concept of DECENT WORK by ensuring safer and human working conditions.
The conference was also addressed by Chaudhry Saifullah representative of ILO Office Islamabad; Mian Tajamal Hussain, President Employer's Federation of Pakistan (Punjab Chapter); Muhammad Aslam Javaid, Additional Director Labour Welfare, govt of Pakistan; Chaudhry Talib Nawaz, President, Pakistan Workers' Federation; Abdul Latif Nizamani, General Secretary Sindh; Haji Muhammad Rawzan Achakzai, General Secretary, Balochistan; Naseem Iqbal, President and Osama Tariq, General Secretary Central Region of the Federation.
The workers' representatives said that the principles of International Labour Organisation outlined in its Constitution are based upon Social Justice, which requires improvement of working and living conditions of the work force and ensuring dignity of work by respecting their fundamental right of Freedom of Association.
They said that after a lapse of almost Ninety years, 182 member States in their tripartite delegation have adopted Declaration in the year 2008 namely "SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR FAIR GLOBALISATION". They said that globalisation without the provision of jobs and protection of fundamental rights of workers, and providing social cover against the policies of World Bank and IMF would further aggravate unemployment and abject Poverty in the developing Countries. The speakers demanded a just international economic order for international peace and balanced development.