October 14, 2007	Sunday	Shawwal 1, 1428

KARACHI, October 13: The leaders of American trade unions who have an influential role in US legislation that include granting market access to key allies, like Pakistan, want enforcement of international labour standards and compliance of Decent Work in the industrial and business houses to be set up in the proposed Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs).

The zones are being planned to be set up with American assistance all along on Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the NWFP and Balochistan.

President Bush has promised a duty-free market access of products from such ROZs in his country as Americans have done similarly in West Bank of Jordan and a few African and South American countries to generate employment and contribute to economic prosperity of the friendly companies and faithful allies.

“These industries must adopt international labour standards, workers be paid proper wages, full freedom of association be guaranteed to workers and that there should be no exploitation of workers,’’ said Ms Thea Lee, the Policy Director of the Legislation Department of AFI-CIO, told a delegation of NWFP investors and tribal leaders that visited US on an ROZ advocacy mission. The President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Majyd Aziz, was with this delegation as its consultant advisor and involved in the negotiations.

“Full support of American workers for ROZs in Pakistan is imperative,’’ Majyd Aziz said.

He said that Pakistan wants a level-playing field with other competitor countries in the US market.

“Since our regional competitors are having an edge on us in US market, we have advocated for same advantages,’’ he said.

The American leadership also explained in detail the concept of ROZ to the NWFP investors during the meetings.

“The idea is to provide employment opportunities to women living in villages,’’ the KCCI president said.

He explained that setting up of ROZs also intend to attract student registration in vocational institutions and schools.

Quite a few businessmen in Karachi have visited the ROZs set up at the West Bank in Jordan and Palestine where a large number of Arab women, mostly Palestine Christians, have found employment opportunities and immensely improved on their economic prosperity.

Businessmen also quote Liberian trade zones as another success story where women are playing a key role in changing and bringing sense in a violence-ridden society.

But businessmen doubt on success of ROZs in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in the NWFP and Balochistan on Pakistan-Afghanistan border as women will never be allowed to become economically productive members of the family.

“Even now in the 21st century, the women in the FATA are stopped from casting their votes in general elections,’’ a businessman pointed out who said “it is not only in far-flung areas of FATA but right here in the economic power house Karachi.”

“In Pashtun settlements of Banaras Colony and other areas, the area elders decide on elections eve that their women will not go to polling stations to cast votes.

“How can you imagine these people will allow their women and girls to work in a garments factory even when there is a pick and drop facility.’’

Many South Asian and Far East Asian countries are on path of progress because their women played a key role in South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and now in Bangladesh and India.