SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Labors in Pakistan are living in poor situation due to non-implementation of labor laws.
There is an estimated 1.7 million people in bonded labour in Pakistan, despite the fact that legislation to protect these workers, such as the Bonded Labour Act of 1992, is already in place. Bonded labour is a form of debt slavery, rampant in rural areas where agricultural land is predominantly owned by feudal landlords, as well as in brick kilns and other sectors. These labourers receive meager salaries, which force them to become indebted to their masters to fulfill their basic needs. Since these workers are uninformed about their rights and lack financial knowledge, they remain in debt and are forced to work as slaves for their bosses their entire lives. Their children are often born into bonded labour, and they remain the chattels of the business owners for generations. There have been many cases of rape, abuse and violence against bonded labourers and their families. Such is the state of Pakistan’s legal system that laws are passed but not implemented, benefiting at best only an elite class of people who have access to justice at the cost of those who have neither the financial means nor the social standing to seek it. Children are used as cheap labour in all sectors, particularly as domestic workers. Following their support in getting Pakistan GSP Plus status to increase the access of Pakistani textiles and other exports in the markets of the European Union (EU), the German government has taken notice of the miserable lives and working conditions of Pakistani labour. Representatives of Germany and the EU have emphasised the need to implement international labour standards, bridge the gender wage gap, increase the minimum wage and strengthen trade unions to protect the rights of workers. In response to Germany’s conditions, the Punjab government has vowed to start a Rs 5.2 billion project to improve the working conditions of labourers by implementing legislation, particularly against child and bonded labour, and by starting training programmes to promote the growth of a class of skilled workers. While these claims seem promising, it is too early to tell whether the laws will indeed be implemented efficiently and whether this new programme will stand the test of time. If this project does not show results, Pakistan stands to lose its GSP Plus status and favourable trade relations with the developed world. It is high time the government of Punjab in this instance, and the governments in the rest of Pakistan pay attention to the needs and concerns of the poor and downtrodden of this country, who unfortunately form the overwhelming majority of the population.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
