- Vague slogans are no substitute for a labour policy
On Monday, industrial labour celebrated the occasion of May Day as a symbol of struggle for their rights some of which are still denied to them, particularly to the women industrial workers who often do not get equal pay for equal work. There were rallies and public meetings in the capital cities of all the four provinces besides several industrial hubs across the country. A large number of women workers also participated in the celebrations, highlighting their problems.
President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan reiterated their commitment to effectively protect the rights of workers so they can meet the emerging challenges of globalization. Mr Khan said dividends of inclusive economic growth cannot be realised if workers are deprived of their rights and opportunities. He wasn’t however willing to go beyond empty slogans like “Mazdoor Ka Ehsas programme “and providing 10 million jobs in five years.
Pakistan’s first labour policy was devised in 1972 wherein May 1 was declared an official holiday for the first time. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s policy also led to the creation of the Social Security Network, Old Age Benefit Schemes and Workers Welfare Fund. Nothing meaningful was added by the governments that followed.
The plight of the working class in general, and industrial labour in particular, was never so bad as it currently is. Many factories have closed. Unemployment is on the rise. The reason: instead of expanding over the last two decades under three successive governments the manufacturing base has actually shrunk. The share of industry to GDP has dipped from 17.5 percent in 2005 to 13.6 percent in 2018. With opportunities for employment limited, labour is forced at times to work under conditions which are not acceptable in any civilized country.
This was highlighted in 2012 when a fire at a garment factory in Karachi killed at least 255 workers. Investigations found an almost complete absence of fire and safety mechanisms. Dodging of safety laws by employers to reduce costs in mining, lead to many mine deaths every year.
The PTI government has neither a federal labour minister nor a full time minister for industries. There is therefore no labour or industrial policy. The country is simply being run on unrealistic and vague promises
