LAHORE – Participants of the consultative workshop on “Formulation of National Policy for Home-Based Workers” on Friday discussed draft of the National Policy on Home-Based Workers and agreed to go ahead with it at the national level. The consultation was organised by the Labour and Manpower Ministry’s Labour Welfare Wing in collaboration with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and UN Women.
The workshop was attended by senior officials of the Punjab Labour Department, Social Welfare Department, PESSI, Workers Welfare Board, trade union representatives, civil society activists and home-based workers. The consultation was chaired by Mustafain Kazmi, joint secretary labour welfare, Labour & Manpower Ministry.
In his opening remarks, Kazmi expressed the need for a dynamic and comprehensive policy for home-based workers to give them their due rights. He urged the labour ministry to support ratification of the ILO Convention-177 relating to home workers. Sakhawat Shah, joint labour director from the Punjab government, welcomed the initiative of a national policy on home-based workers.
He said that due to different nature of work carried out by home-based workers, it would be complicated to register and include them in various support mechanisms but all these issues would be cleared once they are put forward for discussion. He expressed the Punjab government’s full support for cause of supporting home-based workers.
Representatives from trade unions, civil society, social welfare department and social security institutions also supported the initiative and took active part in discussions to formulate various service mechanisms for home-based workers. It was recommended that home-based workers be registered at union councils and a database be developed for this purpose.
The same data would be compiled at district and provincial levels for determining the exact number, nature and types of home-based workers. For monitoring and inspection of working conditions of home-based workers, a tripartite mechanism consisting of labour inspectors, UC councillors and a local social worker, was recommended at the UC level while at district level, a member of trade unions and employer be also included.
For provision of social security benefits, modalities including “self-contribution” and contribution by other available sources including the Pakistan Baitul Maal were suggested. It was also recommended that the per-piece rates of products being produced by home-based workers be determined by the Wage Board to ensure that home-based workers receive at least minimum wages according to the labour policy.
Representatives from ILO and UN-Women also spoke on the occasion and expressed their support for the national policy on home-based workers in line with the ILO Convention 177. Similar consultations are planned in other provinces in February and a finalised policy draft would be presented before the federal cabinet for final approval in March.
Registration of trade union should be allowed at provincial level in industry wise establishment ment or in establishment at national level. In this way we can save the workers from exploitation committed by the leadership of workers.
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