Smeda is facilitating ministry of labour, manpower & overseas Pakistanis in organising a round of provincial consultative workshops on Labour Inspection Policy 2006, and third workshop will be held in Karachi on December 12, 2005, while fourth and final workshop will be held in Lahore on December 15, 2005.
According to Smeda source, the consultative exercise is being undertaken to solicit the views of stakeholders before finalising the draft Labour Inspection Policy 2006.
Pakistan's Labour Policy 2002 and Labour Protection Policy 2005 are important components of the nation's economic and social development framework. It is essential however, those policies are transformed into action through the enactment of laws and regulations that in turn, must be systematically and widely applied if policy intentions are to generate their intended benefits. The labour inspection system is responsible for securing compliance with the nation's labour laws and regulations but, in general, the system has not kept pace with Pakistan's development needs. Accordingly, the labour inspection system must adapt and change if it is to make its expected contribution to national progress.
The restructuring and revitalisation of the nation's labour inspection system requires clear guidance and direction, involving a range of new approaches to labour inspection that are outlined in Labour Inspection Policy 2006.
Labour inspection is no longer solely concerned with law enforcement and the punishment of offenders breaking the law. It now must focus more on prevention and improvement, and gain compliance with laws and regulations through means other than strict enforcement. Enforcement and penalties will always be necessary for blatant contravention of the law but, in general, compliance is pursued in other ways, sources clarified.
It was important to note that the ministry of labour, manpower and overseas Pakistanis has established a task force to assist in the formulation of a new approach to labour inspection. This is the same task force that formulated the Labour Protection Policy 2005. This task force comprises representatives of government, employers and workers, and seeks to encourage a high degree of consultation in the preparation of the Labour Inspection Policy 2006.
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 though information dissemination, the 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 the Labour Inspection Policy 2006 are to introduce a range of innovative approaches to labour inspection that are flexible, transparent, fair, and impartial, encourage the extension of labour protection services to persons engaged in informal economy activities, promote effective labour inspection as a means of dispute prevention and conflict reduction within enterprises, encourage and support the involvement of the private sector in the provision of a range of inspection services, develop the capacity of labour inspectorates to assist in their transformation to modern, efficient, effective and respected institutions, develop the capacity of workers, employers and their respective organisations to adjust to new approaches to labour inspection.
Commenting over the "New Approaches to Inspection", official sources mentioned that the Labour Inspection policy 2006 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 the private sector will be discussed at the provincial workshops on Labour Inspection Policy 2006.
Smeda is assisting the ministry of labour, manpower and overseas Pakistanis to organise a series of workshops at provincial level to gain the views of government officials, employers and workers on the draft Labour Inspection Policy 2006. This consultative process is an essential component of policy development and will foster a greater sense of ownership on the part of those most closely involved in policy implementation, namely, labour inspectors, employers and workers.
The workshop recommendations, together with suggestions from other interested parties, will be taken into account in preparing the final draft of the policy document. Once the policy has been approved by the minister of labour, manpower and overseas Pakistanis and endorsed by other ministries it will be submitted to the federal cabinet, sources concluded.