Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda) is going to initiate consultative process with the stakeholders from December 01, 2005 to formulate recommendations for 'Labour Inspection Policy 2006' through a series of workshops at all provincial capitals.
The first workshop of the series will be held at Peshawar on December 01. The second workshop will be held at Quetta on December 05, third at Karachi on December 12 and the fourth at Lahore on December 15, 2005.
Smeda will be organising these workshops with the objective to assist the Ministry of Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis to seek the views of government officials, employers and workers on the draft of 'Labour Inspection Policy 2006.'
Sources in Smeda told Business Recorder here on Monday the consultative process was an essential component of policy development and would foster a greater sense of ownership on part of those most closely involved in policy implementation ie labour inspectors, employers and workers.
The 'Labour Inspection Policy 2006' aims to contribute to national economic and social progress by securing an acceptable level of compliance with the nation's labour laws and regulations. The aims could be achieved through information dissemination, provision of advice and enforcement measures as appropriate for as many workers as possible irrespective of their actual work arrangements and workplaces.
The specific objectives of this policy are to introduce a range of innovative approaches to labour inspection that are flexible, transparent, fair and impartial, to encourage the extension of labour protection services to persons engaged in informal economic activities, to promote effective labour inspection as a means of dispute prevention and conflict reduction within enterprises, to encourage and support the involvement of private sector in the provision of a range of inspection services, to develop the capacity of labour Inspectorates to assist in their transformation to modern, efficient, effective and respected institutions and to develop the capacity of workers, employers and their respective organisations to adjust to new approaches to labour inspection.
The sources further averred the policy also highlights a number of new initiatives including registration of enterprises and an assessment of their level of risk, integrated inspection, self-inspection and self-reporting, systems inspection, labour extension and the involvement of private sector.
They stated the recommendations together with suggestions from other interested parties would be taken into account in preparing the final draft of policy document. Once the Ministry of Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis approved the draft policy, after endorsement by other ministries, it would be placed before the Cabinet for approval, the sources added.