LAHORE: Leaders of the Muttahida Labour Federation and the Pakistan Mazdoor Mahaz have appreciated the Punjab government decision of allowing 32 factories involved in exports to open.

The decision will lead to employment of a good number of workers, says a press release.

The leaders including Altaf Baloch and M. Yaqub also stressed that the necessary safety precautions for coronavirus according to the standards prescribed by and accepted by world bodies must be adhered to. These include that all workers should be provided with at least two washable masks by the factory and it would make masks available at the gate.

“No worker should be allowed to enter the factory without a mask and workers should wear these masks at all times in the factory. Further, before entering the factory, temperature should be checked as well as each worker should be required to wash their hands with soap. During work hours, the windows of the working room should be kept open to ensure circulation of air and workers should keep a distance of at least six feet.

“Where their work requires closer coordination, mechanism should be devised to ensure this separation. Additionally to keep coronavirus at bay, workers should be asked to hand sanitize or wash hands once every hour. Other than providing this facility, the factory should also be cleaned and disinfected every day,” they said.

The labour leaders also stated that there should be a mechanism to transport workers from home to the factory to further ensure their safety.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2020