ISLAMABAD: Despite legislation on labour rights and orders from various courts in the country, around 96pc of kiln owners do not pay men and women workers the same wages for similar work. Bonded labour also still exists at kilns.

A survey report launched at the National Press Club on Wednesday stated that as many as 23.64pc of brick kiln workers reported prevalent sexual harassment in the workplace, and only 2.42pc knew of existing mechanisms at their workplaces to deal with sexual harassment complaints.

The report, formulated by the Labour Quami Movement and the Pattan Development Organisation, assessed the brick kiln industry’s compliance with Pakistani labour laws and the country’s international obligations under eight labour-related conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Survey finds sexual harassment, bonded labour still prevalent in brick kiln industry

The report was launched by Labour Quomi Movement president Latif Ansari, and Pattan national coordinator Sarwar Bari, along with civil society activists.

“These labour laws are part of the commitments Pakistan has made while attaining GSP plus status for higher exports to the European Union,” Mr Bari said.

The report noted that the brick kiln industry remains out of the reach of the Punjab Labour and Human Resources Department, despite warning from higher courts, international commitments and the existence of monitoring committees.

The objective of the study is to draw the government’s attention towards the neglected sector – which is a mainstay of the country’s sprawling construction industry, while its workers are largely deprived of their legal rights and entitlements and forced to work in unhealthy and unsafe environments.

The survey was conducted in eight districts of Punjab: Faisalabad, Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Nankana Sahib, Muzaffargarh, Multan, Vehari and Layyah. Of a total 1,382 registered kilns, 324 were surveyed.

Sexual harassment and child labour at brick kilns have gone on despite constitutional guarantees and legal provisions.

The report has found that none of the 324 surveyed brick kilns issued an appointment letter to their workers, only 5.5pc of brick kilns displayed abstracts of the Payment of Wage Act and its rules, workers at 97.6pc of the kilns reported that employers did not provide a health and safety programme, and workers at nearly 96pc of the kilns said their employers had not taken any measures to prevent accidents.

The survey report points out that the key issue that leads to exploitation was the illegal practice of peshgi, which continues with complete impunity.

The report states that: “More than 40pc kilns do not maintain records of loans and repayments of loans and workers at 75pc of the brick kilns were not satisfied [with] the way the records of loans of repayments were maintained.”

The report stated that around 81pc of workers are not free to leave their jobs at will. Almost two thirds said they were not free to join or form unions. One of the main factors for the dismal state of affairs was surmised to be the absence of the monitoring of kilns, as 55pc of workers said no officials ever visited their kilns.

Among the brick kilns surveyed, none provided their workers with social security cards, and did not properly or regularly deposit their share to the mandatory Employees Old Age Benefits Institution.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2016