PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa labour and mineral development minister Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli on Wednesday said the drafting of the provincial labour policy was well under way and that the representatives of labours would be consulted on it.

She also said the government was taking steps to provide medical facilities to labours in the province and would soon establish labour courts.

She said this while addressing the launching ceremony of the Pakistan Workers Federation Report regarding the GSP-Plus scheme and challenges relating to the implementation of labour standards in the country.

Among other speakers were labour secretary Alamgir Shah, Pakistan Workers Confederation central president Zahoor Awan and central organiser Chaudhry Mohammad Yaqub, who termed the GPS-Plus status a good omen for the country’s economy.

The minister, too, welcomed the grant of the GSP-Plus status to Pakistan by the European Union and said all stakeholders should join hands to take full benefits of the step and play a major role in the strengthening of the national economy.

She said the world had become a global village and at the international level, every country had to depend on others for different things.

Ms. Tahirkheli urged exporters to claim space for their products and services in international market.

She said after the introduction of 18th Constitutional Amendment, the provincial government had played a crucial role in framing the workers laws as they were important pillar of the national economy.

The minister said the hard work of workers was moving the wheel of industry and that they’re behind increase in the exports of the country.

She said by the grant of the GSP-Plus status, workers had been given their due right by the EU.

Ms. Tahirkheli said concrete steps were needed for access to international market.

She said the government was fully determined to grant rights to the people and that the positive change would be brought in the administrative affairs.

The minister said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had been facing a critical situation for four decades but things were gradually improving.

Earlier, leaders of labour organisations lauded the role of workers in industrial development and said keeping in view the problems of the manpower of industrial sector, the government shoud ensure the preparation of better and effective policy and registration of all unregistered units.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2016