LAHORE, Aug 26: The Punjab government has decided to restore labour inspections suspended by former chief minister Pervaiz Elahi through an executive order in 2003.

Punjab Labour and Human Resource Minister Muhammad Ashraf Sohna said this at a meeting with industrialists, labour leaders, social security and International Labour Organisation (ILO) representatives here on Tuesday.

He said the Labour Inspection Policy, 2006, was made by the federal government in conformity with the International Labour Organisation Convention and guaranteed better industrial relations between employers and employees and social justice for the workers.

He said labour inspections were being restored because the ILO had also asked for their restoration.

The suspension of labour inspections also affected the flow of foreign investment into the country.

Mr Kaira said special attention would be paid to the elimination of bonded labour and child labour in the inspection policy, and that the policy was formulated in consultation with the private sector.

Joint Labour Director Syed Sakhawat Ali briefed the participants of the meeting on the features of the Labour Inspection Policy and Industrial Policy under which the Punjab government had suspended the labour inspections in 2003.

A committee, consisting of representatives of chambers of commerce, trade unions and labour department officials, was made to draft a standard operating procedure for the restoration of labour inspections for approval by the chief minister.

The ILO will provide technical assistance for the training of labour inspectors in accordance with the international standards and district committees will be made to ensure proper labour inspections.