KARACHI: Civil society and labour leaders on Monday asked the members of the Sindh legislature to review and amend the labour laws passed by the present assembly and bring them in conformity with the conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

They also urged the parliamentarians to frame a coordinated implementation strategy of the labour and human rights laws.

The rights activists said this at a consultation with members of the Sindh Assembly organised by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (Piler) at a hotel.

Retired Justice Majida Razvi, chairperson of the Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC), presided over the meeting in which MPAs belonging to almost every political party in the Sindh Assembly offered representation.

They included Kulsoom Chandio, Saeed Nizamani, Ameer Hyder Shirazi, Dewanchand Chawla, Saira Shahliani, Waqar Shah, Shahnaz Begum, Rana Ansar, and Shafi Mohammad Jamote.

The SHRC chief said common people were suffering the most because of consumption of polluted water and lack of healthcare facilities in the province.

“There is a lack of access to justice in the society,” she added.

Karamat Ali, executive director of Piler, said despite the fact that Sindh Assembly had made record legislation relating to labour sector, implementation was still a cause of concern.

He said it was encouraging the European Union had extended Generalised System of Preference (GSP)-Plus scheme for Pakistan to export duty-free products to the European market.

He asked the legislators to make the already passed laws compliant with the ILO standards.

Pakistan Peoples Party’s Kulsoom Chandio said the present provincial assembly had made record legislation. However, she admitted implementation on those laws was still an issue.

Pakistan Muslim League-Functional’s Rafiq Banbhan said agriculture workers were not getting the same facilities, which industrial workers were enjoying like social security and old-age benefits.

Habibuddin Junaidi said minimum wages were fixed at Rs15,000 for unskilled workers, yet they were not paid this in most industries.

In her presentation, researcher Zeenat Hisam said the process of provincial lawmaking was slow; restrictive clauses had been retained in several laws; and tripartite consultation was reported but feedback was not always accommodated.

Zeenia Shaukat said the cases of enforced disappearance had increased in recent years which the government was denying.

“Freedom of expression, right to association and assembly are severely curbed. Media is restricted and new cyber legislation is against the right of expression. Misuse of the blasphemy law is reported and minorities are considering themselves unsafe in Pakistan.”

Zulfiqar Shah from Piler gave a presentation about GSP-Plus and its compliance in Pakistan.

In addition to legislators, representatives of government departments and civil society also attended the consultation. They included the chairperson of the Sindh Commission on Status of Women Nuzhat Shireen, and Dr Charles Amjad Ali.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2018