National Meeting of Employers on Decent Work & Sustainable Development

Fasih ul Karim Siddiqui, Advisor Employers’ Federation of Pakistan

TEXT: National meeting of employers on decent work and sustainable was held on 12 March 2021 at Movenpick Hotel Karachi as a part of the 8th Employer of the Year Award ceremony in which the President of Pakistan was the Chief Guest. The national meeting of the employers was organized by the Employers’ Federation of Pakistan in collaboration with International Labour Organization in order to highlight the vital role an employers’ organization and employers can and do play in promoting the decent work agenda as a part of their strategy for sustainable development. The main features of the presentation made by Mr. Fasih ul Karim Siddiqui, Advisor Employers’ Federation of Pakistan, is summarized below:

1. ILO Decent work Country Program Developed has been developed through tripartite consultation has entered its third phase and Employers’ Federation of Pakistan is signatory to the Decent work country program on behalf of the employers of Pakistan

2. The four Priority Areas for DWCP III (2016-20) are as under:

i) Promoting Decent Work in the Rural Economy.

ii) Promoting Job Creation for Youth and Vulnerable Groups.

iii) Strengthening ILS Compliance through Social Dialogue.

iv) Extending Social Protection Floors

1. The outcome expected from each of the four-priority area are as under:

i) DWCP Priority 1: Promoting Decent Work in the Rural Economy.

(1): Informal economy gradually formalized through the formulation of policies and laws and/or reform with a focused-on RE.

(2): Improved working conditions for rural economy workers.

(3): The worst forms of child and bonded labour progressively eliminated in the RE.

ii) DWCP Priority 2: Promoting Job Creation for Youth and Vulnerable Groups

(1): Employment opportunities for youth, women & disabled created.

(2): Gender responsive skills, employment & enterprise development programs developed in conventional & emerging sectors for target groups.

(3): Employability of youth and vulnerable groups enhanced.

iii) DWCP Priority 3: Strengthening ILS Compliance through Social Dialogue

(1): Capacity of tripartite constituents for ILS compliance and reporting enhanced (individual and institutional).

(2): Workplace compliance enhanced through effective monitoring and labour inspection systems

(3): Workers protected from unacceptable forms of work.

(4): Safe and fair labour migration promoted.

iv) DWCP Priority 4: Extending Social Protection Floors

(1): Informal economy gradually formalized through the formulation of policies and laws and/or reform with a focused-on RE.

(2): Improved working conditions for rural economy workers.

(3): The worst forms of child and bonded labour progressively eliminated in the RE.

In pursuance to the Decent Country Program, the Employers’ Federation of Pakistan has taken number of initiatives as under:

1) The most historical initiative is the formation of five agriculture landlord associations in Mirpurkhas, Dadu, Khot Ghulam Muhammad and Shehdadpur (Sanghar). These small landlord association comprise of progressive landlords owning 5 to 40 acres of land and employing 5 to 7 farmers forming their association duly registered under the Sindh Industrial Relation Act 2013 are model examples of corporative working between landlords and farmers in Sindh. EFP has conducted series of intensive training for their awareness raising and sensitizing on fundamental principles and rights at work. Two farmers trade union have also been formed and the landlord association will soon be engaged in collective bargaining.

2) EFP has been leading a massive campaign against Child labour and Forced labour and has been organizing World Day Against Child Labour in leading cities of Pakistan including Karachi, Lahore, Sialkot, Faisalabad and Peshawar and Sialkot.

3) Recently a national task force on Child labour comprising of representative of major stakeholders with the task of consolidating, monitoring and sustaining the efforts so far made in combating Child Labor issue.

4) Under the MNED Project, EFP organized four days training workshops in Sialkot for Sports Goods Industry in which around 400 managers, workers, and trade union officials were trained in productivity and quality improvement, occupational health and safety, FPRW and MNED principles which has been highly appreciated and acclaimed.

5) The Employer of the Year Award has also been initiated with the objective to highlight the best practices of business enterprises and promoting Decent Work in their organization. The companies participating in the contest are required to furnish information on the initiatives approaches and actions in various component areas of decent work such as corporate management, compliance with national and international labour standard, occupational health and safety, CSR, Strategic alignment with SDGs, skill development and women empowerment. The information provided goes through stringent process of evaluation and the winning companies stand out as models of practicing the Decent Work Agenda.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021