KARACHI, Dec 11: The Sindh government’s decision about Rs10,000 as the minimum wage for workers was discussed at a seminar on Wednesday, where representatives of employers said they were not against paying the amount but were unable to do so because of certain difficulties they faced.

“We are not against that amount. In fact, none of the associations has refused to accept it. Two associations even said the minimum wage was still inadequate while four others said there were issues which made it difficult for them to pay it. None of the associations said the minimum wages were inappropriate,” said Ehsanullah Khan of the Workers-Employers Bilateral Coordination of Pakistan (Webcop) at a seminar titled ‘Core labour rights and the compliance gap’, organised by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) in a hotel.

Mr Khan said Webcop had promoted dialogue between workers and employers for the solution of joint problems and formulated 15 policies, including industrial and labour policies.

“We are in the process of making an anti-corruption movement. We have made a senior citizens’ forum within Webcop on the Pakistan Steel issue.”

He said there were good and bad elements on either side of the fence. “Not all the employers are monsters and not all the representatives of the labourers are angels,” he remarked.

Dr Zafar Shaheed, ex-director of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), in his presentation regarding workers conditions all over the world said the ILO had initiated a factory improvement programme, which reduced defects, absenteeism and turnover rate in different countries.

In 1997, the ILO and Unicef in collaboration with the chamber of commerce and industry signed an agreement for improving the working conditions in Sialkot’s soccer industry at the time of the 1996 World Cup.

On the reports that the government had applied to the European Union for a GSP Plus (generalised system of preferences) status, which last Pakistan enjoyed in 2002, he said it was easy to ratify a convention but difficult to implement it.

He said Pakistan signed many ILO conventions but their implementation was a big question mark since the trade was linked with compliance of the standards, including ILO conventions.

For GSP Plus, besides the European Council, the European Parliament would also monitor compliances of the standards regarding human rights, environment and eight ILO conventions.

Bashir Jan, a leader of the Awami National Party, said the condition of the workers was deplorable. There was a war between two forces, the poor and the rich. He demanded that the salary of workers be made equal to a tola of gold.

Piler’s executive director Karamat Ali said the state regulated and fixed taxes, but here the state had stopped exercising its power. He said land reforms were opposed in the name of Islam to provide benefit to big landlords. The state’s main responsibility should be to establish fundamental rights of the people.

“We need to challenge the hypocritical attitude of the European countries which encouraged Pakistan to sell its products without duty,” he said, adding that Pakistan needed to increase its trade with neighbouring countries.

Amjadullah Khan from the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry said that due to corruption in government departments, the workers were not getting necessary facilities. He said the government departments were not providing health and other social securities to workers.