President Asif Ali Zardari signed into law the Sacked Employees (Reinstatement) Bill 2010 during a special ceremony held here at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Monday. The signing ceremony was attended among others by federal ministers, members of parliament, federal secretaries and representatives of reinstated employees. The bill was passed by National Assembly on October 7 and Senate on 10 November.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the President said he is pleased to have signed the bill and congratulated all the workers who have thus been reinstated in their jobs through an act of the parliament. He also felicitated parliament for passing the law and also the Minister for Labour and Manpower and all those who made it possible.
The President said, "it is an auspicious day for all of us as today we have fulfilled yet another promise and commitment made by our Shaheed leader and the government with the workers." He said worker and labour is the backbone of the country's economy and Pakistan Peoples Party from the day of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, PPP has kept welfare of workers and labourers uppermost in its mind.
He said Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto had promised the sacked employees of different organisations that they would be reinstated into their jobs. "The critics of the present government sometimes accuse it of not providing jobs to the people. Yes, the job market has shrunk due to world-wide economic slow down and recession. But I ask the critics, is the reinstatement of thousands of sacked employees not giving them jobs? He said that he was very pleased to do it.
While commenting on various measures being undertaken by the government for economic revival, he said the improvement of economic condition requires collective effort of all. He expressed the hope that policies adopted by the government would help improve economy and at the same time improve the condition of workers. He said election manifesto of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) aimed at protection of rights of workers and creation of maximum job opportunities for the people. Security of job is the most significant motivating factor for employees who work hard for economic development and social progress of the country, he observed.
"The Act signed today aims at providing relief to the politically victimised workers. It will benefit those appointed in a government department or in an autonomous body during the period from November 1, 1993 to November 30, 1996 and were dismissed during the period from November 1, 1996 to October 12, 1999." The President reiterated the PPP led government would continue to work for the welfare of the poor and the workers.
The President mentioned the various steps taken by the government for the welfare of the workers and said that through Benazir Employees Stock Option Scheme, 12% stock shares will be offered to workers of the public sector organisations. More than 500,000 employees of 80 public organisations will benefit from it by becoming shareholders in organisations, he added. "We believe in economic progress by giving incentives. The Benazir Employees Stock Option Scheme is aimed at giving incentives to workers to work more and produce more. It is both a schemes to improve the worker welfare as well as the economy. It is aimed at making both the workers and employers as partners in the economic development of the country".
The President said the country was confronted with numerous challenges, which can only be met with the collective efforts of all of them. He called upon all political forces and the people to join hands in meeting the challenges that lie ahead. The President said the government has also decided to distribute free of charge state lands among the poor women in the command areas of the new dams that are being built in the country. These women will be provided easy credit to cultivate these lands; he said and expressed the hope that the initiative will bring women of the country in the loop of development. The Benazir Income Support Programme is yet another initiative of the government to alleviate poverty and also to empower the women, the President said and added, "we will continue our forward march".