Punjab Government has evolved a comprehensive strategy to eliminate the curse of bonded labour from the province and educational and social reforms are being introduced at the brick kilns under the reforms agenda.
As per budget document, Labour Department is mandated to ensure social justice at the workplace through industrial peace; promote healthy labour-management relations for greater socio-economic progress; facilitate implementation of occupational safety and health of labour; and undertake other welfare measures for workers' families including healthcare, education and housing etc. Similarly, it is the function of human resource development to harness the existing potential of available human resource through training and development.
The budget document envisages the strategic interventions in labour and human resource department, which include: provision of additional facilities and human resources at Centre for Improvement of Working Conditions & Environment (CIWC&E)/Industrial Relations Institute (IRI); elimination of bonded labour in brick kilns in Punjab in general with major focus on Kasur and Lahore; awareness of workers and employers of their rights and obligations under the labour laws and establishment of information system of factories and computerisation of data; combating worst forms of child labour in four district of Punjab ie Attock, Jhang, Muzaffargarh and Pakpattan; up-gradation of gadgets used for the measurement of CNG dispensers and provision of checking kit of weights & measures and allied training facilities for the inspecting staff.
Punjab Labour Minister Haji Ehsaan-ud-Din Qureshi said that Punjab government is going to establish more non-formal schools besides disbursement of interest-free micro-credit to brick kiln workers.
Under the first stage 170 non-formal schools had already been established at brick kilns where 5500 male and female students are getting education, whereas, 30 more schools would be functional soon, he said, adding, "In order to provide better economic opportunities to the brick kiln labourers, micro-credit scheme has been launched and Rs 40.8 million soft term loan had already been distributed among the labourers."
He said that medical camps are being organised at bricks where labourers are provided treatment facilities. The Minister further said that government is giving top priority to eliminate the menace of bonded labour in brick kilns and combating worst forms of child labour from the province.
He said the labour department was launching extension of elimination of bonded labour in brick kilns project in eight additional districts with a cost of Rs 180 million whereas, Rs 138 million would be spent for combating worst forms of child labour in four districts of province. The members of civil society, NGOs and public opinion makers should join hands with the government in its efforts to combat bonded labour in brick kilns and exploitation of child labour from the society, he said.