KARACHI: At its national conference on the right to dignity of labour and decent work for all, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has observed that the backbone of any true democratic movement is a strong labour movement that advocates for social protection, fair wages without discrimination, the right to collective bargaining and humane working conditions.

A panel of academics and researchers including Umair Rasheed, Dr Fahd Ali, Taha Kehar, Zeeshan Noel, Noor-e-Muzamil, and Muhammad Rafique presented their findings based on fieldwork examining the labour rights situation of fisherfolk, textile workers, sanitation workers, miners and agricultural workers. These studies, which also seek to re-conceptualise labour and labour rights in Pakistan, were being released as part of HRCP’s Shakeel Pathan Labour Studies Series, named for a former staff member and veteran labour rights activist, announced director Farah Zia.

Speaking on the right to decent work, Karamat Ali, executive director of the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, said that a mechanism to enforce fair wages was necessary. Sabhagi Bheel, vice-president of the Agricultural General Workers Union (Sindh) noted that women agricultural workers continued to be paid significantly less than their male counterparts. Referring to fisherfolk as among the most marginalised labour groups, Saeed Baloch, general secretary of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, strongly advocated that they be granted pensions in their old age. Asif Khattak, general secretary of Sindh Coal Mines, drew attention to the frequency of mining accidents and inadequate grants in case of injury or death.

Joint secretary of the All Pakistan Workers Federation, Akram Bonda said it was important to address the anomalies created after the devolution of labour with respect to trans-provincial labour issues.

Hanif Ramay, general secretary of the Muttahida Labour Federation, recommended that the Workers’ Welfare Fund, social security institutions and EOBI be made independent of the government.

Zehra Khan, secretary-general of the Home-Based Women Workers’ Federation and Bushra Arrain of the Lady Health Workers Union traced the history of their respective unions and explained how this had accorded greater dignity of labour to their communities.

Mir Zulfiqar Ali, executive director of the Workers Education and Research Organisation, added that measures to report and address sexual harassment at the workplace were necessary to make work sites safer for women.

HRCP co-chair Asad Iqbal Butt said that the system of contracting labour had hampered the workers’ movement in Pakistan.