The focus of 'National Employment Policy' is to create decent employment for all, appropriate wages and equal opportunities for both men and women. This was stated by Dr Sabur Ghayur representing Ministry of Labour, Manpower and Overseas at a seminar titled 'challenging unemployment, creating decent work for all' organised by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here on Monday.
Highlighting the key features of draft of national employment policy, he said that the focus of the draft policy is growth oriented, therefore, spectral approach has been adopted. He said that 43.8 percent of the unemployed people are illiterate and we are trying to take up such design, which could cater these people. In this respect special attention would be given to the promotion of technical education.
He said that Pakistan's rural labour market is facing serious challenges that include a low absorptive capacity of the formal sector and an increasing informal sector, unemployment of the illiterate population and lack of opportunities for technical and vocational training.
He said that one of the Ministry's suggestions to tackle these bottlenecks is 3-tier growth triangles and special measures for employment creation in rural areas, such as the 'one village, one product' programme. An employment guarantee scheme for rural areas is another measure adapted from the India experience to ensure decent employment for all, he added.
Dr Sajjad Akhtar from Centre for Research on Poverty Reduction and Income Distribution (CRPRID) said there should be a shift in the national employment policy from quantitative to the qualitative approach.
He said there is no doubt that the country requires a growth oriented employment policy and it could be augmented by specifically focusing on structural issues being faced by the labour market in Pakistan. Some of the issues are contractual/temporary labour in the formal manufacturing sector, growing share of unpaid family helpers specifically of females in the rural areas, the effective compliance of minimum wage laws and youth unemployment.
Alice Shackelford, country director, United Nations Development Fund for Women (Unifem) said there is a dire need for innovative approaches with the fulfilment of national and international commitment of Pakistan for women empowerment.
She said that a mechanism should be adopted for accountability and institutionalisation of the institutions and departments to ensure gender equality and participation in the development process. She said that exploitation of women working in informal sector, gender imbalances in higher offices, workplace gender issues are some of the key issues which need a real consideration in the national employment policy of Pakistan.
Muhammad Akram Bunda, Pakistan Workers Federation (PWF), said that it is the need of the hour to wisely utilise the potential of our 70 percent rural population and 10 million population under the age of 30.
He said that the key focus of the policy should have to be on rural population, promotion of equality-based education, strengthening of a fair micro-financing system, end to privatisation of public welfare institutions and initiation of viable development projects including contrary the prevailing practices where non-viable projects are given priority and development funds are diverted to the manipulated political activities.