LAHORE: Working class has urged the federal and provincial governments to promote the culture of safety and health at workplace as occupational accidents and diseases have been on the rise in the country at an alarming rate.

“Pakistan is among the top 10 countries of the world having highest number of fatal and non-fatal accidents and diseases involving workers,” said representatives of trade unions at a meeting held here on Friday to observe International Commemoration Day for Dead and Injured Workers and World Day for Safety and Health at Work.

Representatives of the constituent trade unions of All Pakistan Workers Confederation (APWC) said that there were only 561 inspectors for enforcement of labour laws in the country.

Through a unanimously adopted resolution, the meeting urged the federal and all provincial governments to take measures on war-footing basis to prevent occupational accidents and diseases particularly in mines, textile, engineering, chemical, transport, electricity and construction sectors.

It also demanded that labour laws should be amended in accordance with the principles of ILO Convention No 81 which had been ratified by the Pakistan government. There should be effective and independent labour inspection machinery that could bring the violators of safety laws to book and get them awarded punishments.

Through another resolution, it was demanded that women workforce should be provided equal opportunities for advancement of their careers by making institutions that could check violence and harassment against women. There should be daycare centres for the children of working women near their workplace and pick and drop transport facilities for them.

Presented by veteran trade union leader Khurshid Ahmad, another resolution called for utilization of social security fund for training and education of the workers regarding safety and prevention of accidents and occupational diseases.

The government should establish Tripartite National Health Safety Council and get enforced labour laws in conformity with ILO Convention No 155 and 176.

The government should also get implemented Point 8.8 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development pertaining to provision of healthy and safe working condition to workers at workplace.

Earlier, confederation leaders Robina Jameel, Akber Ali Khan, Niaz Khan, Osama Tariq, Khushi Muhammad Khokhar and Salahuddin regretted that the people responsible for the death of 250 workers at Karachi’s Baldia Town garment factory, 50 workers at Gadani Shipyard in Balochistan and 52 workers at Sundar Industrial Estate of Lahore have yet to be brought to book.

They demanded that the government should adopt progressive economic and social and political policies to maintain gender parity, free standard equal education facilities, abolishing double education system, equal pay for equal work, safe working conditions and congenial environment, social protections to the women and get ensured the implementation of labour and other laws for the welfare of the women and ensure the elimination by exploitation of domestic workers in the country.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2017