HYDERABAD: Home-based workers (HBW) have threatened to hold a sit-in in front of the Sindh Assembly in the last week of November if their demands are not met.
The convention was held on Sunday in Latifabad under the aegis of the Home-Based Women Workers Federation, Pakistan, to mark the International Home-Based Workers’ Day.
Comrade Zahra Khan chaired the event, attended by a large number of home-based women workers, including those from bangle industry, attended it.
Labour leaders said on the occasion that several years had passed since Sindh Home-Based Work Act was passed, but its implementation was still minimal.
They said that since the home-based workers had been legally recognised, it was their right to be registered with the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI).
They added that a decision by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar of the Sindh High Court was commendable in that regard. It was government’s responsibility to ensure that social security institutions would begin registration of home-based workers without any delay.
They said that according to law, the Sindh labour department was supposed to register home-based workers.
They, however, said that unfortunately the department had verified and registered 3,000 home-based workers so far, which was less than one per cent of their total.
They added that irresponsibility of the labour department was evident as no “Madzoor Card” had been issued to any home-based worker so far.
They noted that for the first time in Sindh’s history, wages of home-based workers in bangle industry had been determined and included in wage gazette notification. But the labour department had failed to ensure its implementation.
They condemned Sindh and Punjab labour codes, labelling them as anti-labour and accusing them of providing legal cover to contract (thekedari) system.
They alleged that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) was directly involved in that conspiracy alongside the labor department. It was announced in the convention that if their demands were not met, a sit-in would be held in front of Sindh Assembly in last week of November.
Some demands were also made at the convention: registration of home-based workers should be initiated across the province and completed quickly. The leaders said they should be issued labour cards and registered with the SESSI immediately in line with the Sindh High Court’s decision.
It was also demanded that bangle workers should be paid according to officially-declared rates of wages and anti-labor codes should be withdrawn.
Calling for a tripartite labor conference, they demanded that worker-friendly labour laws are framed through meaningful consultation; implementation of labour laws are ensured and all forms of contractor system are abolished.
The wage notification should be issued immediately, they said.
Those who spoke included Saira Firoz of the United HBW Garment Workers Union, Jamila A. Latif of the Home Based Women Bengal Workers Union, Aneesa M. Younis and Parveen Bano of the Zardoozi Workers Union and Nasira Bano of the Garment Workers Union.
Published in Dawn, October 21th, 2024