January 15, 2002	Tuesday	Shawwal 30, 1422

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HARIPUR, Jan 14: Despite the much-trumpeted measures announced by successive governments for ensuring the rights of the blue-collar community, particularly women, the owners of Hattar Industrial Estate seemed least bothered about their labour and labour laws.

Women workers who constitute almost over five per cent of the total work force in Hattar Industrial Estate (HIE), Haripur, are being subjected to exploitation.

From the number of work hours to payment of salaries, social security, or weakly holidays, entrepreneurs’ blue-eyed boys flagrantly violate the set rules and social norms.

It has been observed in almost all industrial concerns of HIE that women workers are not paid according to the Minimum Wages for Unskilled Workers Ordinance 2001, neither are they allowed to have social security benefits.

And those who are registered with the social security are not allowed to visit the hospital during office hours.

Hattar Industrial Estate was established on an area of 1,063 acres of prime land belonging to different families of Kot- Najibullah and surrounding areas, in 1985, with 252 industrial units initially.

Of these, there are 127 sick units. In the operational industrial there are 10,400 workers of which five per cent are women.

According to a research paper prepared concerning the problems faced by women workers, by some independent researchers affiliated with RDP (a Haripur based NGO), there are 35 per cent women between the ages of 15 and 25 years; 4 per cent between 26 and 30; 6 between 31 to 40 years.

Among them 46 per cent are matriculate; 17 per cent middle; 7 per cent intermediate; and 2 per cent have bachelor’s degree.

The highly-educated two per cent get Rs3,100 to Rs4,000 as monthly salary; 17 per cent draw Rs2,100 to Rs3,000; and 80 per cent unskilled workers receive form Rs1,400 to Rs1,800.

When asked whether they were satisfied with the job and salary they were drawing 59 per cent termed it unsatisfactory, 21 per cent seemed complacent about their income, apparently due to the fear of loosing their jobs.

Of these women workers 56 per cent said they were working because their husbands were jobless; 28 per cent to support families; and 16 per cent to keep themselves occupied.

When these women were asked to comment on their rights 37 per cent expressed their ignorance about having any rights of social security/old age benefits; only 15 per cent had little knowledge of their rights.

Over 51 per cent complained of having experienced sexual harassment, 20 per cent accused their officers; 18 per cent from strangers on their way to work; and 13 per cent from colleagues.