ISLAMABAD: Two bills, seeking amendments to the ‘Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010’ and the ‘Domestic Workers (Employment Rights) Act 2013’, were presented to the Senate on Monday.

Acting Chairman Senate Sabir Baloch referred both the bills to the standing committees concerned for discussion.

One of the bills filed by Senator Farhatullah Babar pointed out that in the ‘Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2010, there was no provision for the protection of female students in an educational institution.

Senator Babar quoted a recent incident at the Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) Islamabad in which a senior member of the university administration, accused of harassing a female student, avoided the punishment on the ground that the law applied only to the employees of an academic institution, not the female students.

About the timing of moving the amendment bill, Mr Babar said the lacuna in a law comes to fore when it (law) is actually put to operation.

“Now if a serious lacuna has come to the fore, why should the government hesitate to remove it,” he asked.

He said legal experts and stakeholders may also be invited to the committee meeting to give their inputs for improving the law and removing the shortcomings.

He added that although the ombudsman had ruled that female university students were covered under the law, its ruling had been overturned by the President on the advice of the law ministry that it did not strictly apply to female students as they did not come under the definition of workers or employees.

Senator Raza Rabbani of the PPP also supported the bill and said it be referred to the standing committee for a thorough discussion to rectify the lacunas.

Senator Osman Saifullah Khan moved the bill for the rights of domestic workers to ensure their security and safety and provide them with a better working environment.

According to the proposed amendment, the age of the domestic workers should be between 14 and 60 years.

The bill further provided for having a written contract with terms and conditions describing about the working hours, minimum wages, maternity, ordinary leaves as well as performing their duties as per the contract.

The domestic workers shall be entitled to health and medical care, employment injury benefits, group insurance, housing, gratuity, bonus and pension benefits which shall be paid through the Domestic Workers Welfare Fund under the supervision of a domestic welfare board as proposed in the bill.

The bill added that the employers shall provide food and accommodation to the workers while the government will ensure regular employment to domestic workers, timely payment of wages, conducive working conditions, medical facility, protective clothing and safety from physical and sexual exploitation.

The employers shall have to issue one-month prior notice to domestic workers in case of their termination from service.

Under the bill, it has been proposed that a dispute resolution committee and appellate authority should be set up to sort out all the issues between the employers and the domestic workers.