Sindh is the first province of Pakistan which has recognised Haaris as workers and this is a great achievement of peasants, said speakers while addressing a seminar.
The seminar titled “The rights of agriculture labourers and the Sindh Industrial Relations Act (SIRA 2013)” was held by the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) in collaboration with the International Labor Organisation (ILO).
In a historic move, the Haaris and agricultural and fisheries workers of Sindh, under the Sindh Industrial Relations Act (SIRA), were accepted as workers as per labour laws in the year 2013; however, this act still awaits full implementation even after passage of three years, said the workers of the moot held in Khairpur Nathan Shah, Dadu.
They said though the formal recognition of Haaris and agriculture-based labourers of Sindh as workers under the labour laws was a big, but solid steps were yet to be taken to fully implement this law.
The speakers shed light on different aspects of the SIRA 2013 passed by the Sindh assembly three years ago under which a large number of Haaris and agriculture workers of Sindh were legally recognised as workers. Under this bill, it was promised that these Haaris and peasants would enjoy all rights and privileges as workers admissible under the labour laws of the land.
The speakers said that the SIRA2013 was an important labour law of Pakistan as it had provided the Haaris and farm workers of Sindh their rights and protection for which they had been demanding for half a century. According to this law, the Haaris and farm workers can establish their own labour unions. They are also empowered to legally elect their collective bargaining agents (CBAs). They have also got the legal rights of minimum wages, social security and pension.
The heroic workers’ movement in Pakistan has been struggling for long for the rights of the agriculture sector labourers. It is the result of this brave struggle that now the process of organisation and union making of the Haaris in Sindh has already begun. It is heartening that the SIRA 2013 has inspired the labourers of non-organised sector to get them organised. Now they fully know the benefits of being organised and the disadvantages of being disorganised as their rights could only be realised when they form their own unions and collective bargaining agents.
The process of making union of the Haaris and small landlords has also begun as the small farmers have organised themselves. It is a welcome development that they have indicated to accept the rights of the agricultural workers of forming their trade unions and CBAs.
The speakers praised the role of Sindh labour department in the registration of the Haari unions which would pave way for the tripartite consultation so that the process of implementing the rights under the SIRA-2013 could be devised.
ILO representative Zaheer Arif talked on the role of ILO in resolving the issues of labourers in different countries of the world. He also talked about their project of getting the Haaris of different districts of Sindh organised in their own trade unions. He said the ILO would try its best to include all stakeholders in the consultation process on implementation of laws related to the workers belonging to agricultural sector of Sindh to bring positive changes in their lives.
Zaheer Arif told the moot that the ILO under its conventions C-11 and C-184 expected from its all members including Pakistan that they would enact laws in this regard. He said that it was a historic step that Sindh province had passed this Act. He said that it was also heartening that the agriculture labourers of this province had already begun to get themselves organised. He said the ILO would continue to play its due role in consulting with the labour organisations and other stakeholders.
The representative of Sindh laborr department on the occasion discussed different aspects of the SIRA2013 and assured the seminar participants that they would continue to play their due role for maximum facilitation of the workers and Haaris as per the labour laws.
The participants demanded that the Sindh Agriculture Relations Act should be implemented in letter and spirit.
A mechanism should be devised to inform the agriculture sector workers about the health and safety and they should also be informed about the preventive measures in this regard, they said, adding that laws should be enacted on the federal level about occupational health and safety.
Those who spoke included Gulfam Nabi Memon, Joint Labour Director, government of Sindh, representative of the ILO, Zaheer Arif, Fasihuddin Qureshi of EFP, Nasir Mansoor, Deputy General Secretary of NTUF, Mushtaq Ali Shan, Information Secretary of NTUF and others.