PESHAWAR, Oct 9: The Ministry of Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis has worked out a plan to merge 72 labour-related laws into five laws which would reduce the number of inspectors’ visits to industrial sites.

The ministry is also busy shaping a strategy to protect employees’ rights as well as to ensure smooth functioning and growth of the industrial sector in Pakistan, an official said.

Joint secretary of the ministry, Asif Akhtar Malik, told newsmen during a workshop titled “Labour Protection Policy” that a task force had been set up for the formulation of a comprehensive labour protection policy.

The policy will define basic elements of labour protection.

The workshop was jointly organized by the ministry and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA).

The task force has planned to hold a series of comprehensive workshops, to be financed by the Asian Development Bank, in all the four provincial capitals. The feedback received from all stakeholders, including employees, employers and consultants, would be incorporated into the Labour Policy 2002, Mr Akhtar said.

Replying to a question, he said that no labour policy had been worked out since 1972, which had made it difficult for the ministry to deal with labour-related issues and at the same time support industrial growth in the country. The recommendations made at the workshops would give a new direction to the ministry, he added.

He acknowledged that successive governments had failed to enforce labour laws but held provincial governments responsible for the sorry state of affairs. “It is the responsibility of a provincial government to enforce labour laws in the industrial sector,” he said.

The policy would seek to strike a balance between workers rights and efficiency of the industrial units, he told a questioner.

Apart from placing emphasis on increased protection of workers and improvement of their working conditions, the policy would highlight other priorities as well. It would contribute to higher labour productivity, improved working conditions and provision of a safe and healthy environment.

The policy would help make enterprises more efficient and competitive, he added.

This will demonstrate to the world, especially potential investors, that Pakistan was committed to improving labour protection as a key plank of its strategy for national development, he said.

When asked about Pakistan’s commitment to the guidelines set by ILO and other international watchdogs, Mr Akhtar said the country’s commitment to labour protection was enshrined in its constitution. Its Article 38 makes specific reference to the social and economic wellbeing of the people, particularly with regard to labour protection and social justice.