KARACHI, May 8: Speakers at a conference on Thursday urged the government to ensure that workers enjoy their due rights and employers do have a respect for all such rights of the employees as guaranteed under the phrase of decent work.

They were speaking on the first day of a three-day conference on “Decent Work”, organized jointly by the ILO and the All-Pakistan Federation of Labour.

They said each member country of the World Trade Organization would have to open up its borders for a free trade and movement of its goods, which might affect the local industry.

They said the customs tariffs would be eased after the year 2005, and the local industry, which has an obsolete machinery, outdated technology and unsatisfied workers, would not be able to compete in a free economy and would be affected badly.

They said the developed countries with their advanced technology and fast machines would be able to produce goods on mass scale and on reduced prices and would dump these in the developing countries markets.

They said even to this day the local industry had been demanding imposition of protective taxes so that they could survive.

They said as the industry in the developing countries would be affected, its effects would also be felt by the workers.

They said as the ILO works to secure rights of workers and for their welfare, it has coined the term of decent work that comprises basic principles that protect workers.

They said the major objectives of the decent work which are also included in the international labour standards are — a) freedom of association for workers; b) right of collective bargaining; c) elimination of child labour; d) elimination of forced labour; and e) non-discrimination.

Other objectives are that there should be no gender discrimination in employment and workers be provided social protection — like a) occupational safety and health; b) good working conditions; c) social security; and d) old-age benefit.

They said that a social dialogue between workers and employers was also a must so that the issues could be tackled at the initial stage and solution could be found quickly.

They said after a couple of years, products of those countries where the international labour standards were not being observed would be boycotted.

They said the industrialists would have to improve the quality of their products and lower the prices to remain competitive in a free market.

The audience was also given a detailed briefing regarding health and occupational safety standards that the employers and the workers both should observe.

Over 40 representatives, including many women representatives of the different trade unions affiliated with the APFOL from all over the province, are attending.

ILO’s Dr Basharat Ahmad; Ahsanullah Khan and U. R. Usmani of the Workers Employers Bilateral Council of Pakistan (WEBCOP); Joint Labour Director C. L. Nankani; APFOL chief Khalil-ur-Rehman and others also spoke.