KARACHI- Ms. Ingrid Christensen, Country Director ILO emphasized upon the need to make farming better by ensuring that children don’t do hazardous work, there is no forced or bonded labour, decent working conditions for both men and women are provided and that farmers can join trade unions as they wish. She further stated that the farmers and workers need to be aware of health and safety risks and it is important that the workers and farmers working in the field are safe and healthy at work.
She said this while addressing participants of the Awareness Raising Seminars on FPRW for Cotton Growing Communities. The Seminars were organized by the Employer’s Federation of Pakistan(EFP) in collaboration with the ILO Pakistan Office, through its Project on “Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRW)” funded by INDITEX at Mirpur Khas and Sanghar respectively.
Ms. Ingrid Congratulated EFP for organizing these Seminars and said that the sensitization of workers and farmers through these Seminars on FPRW will go a long way in ensuring decent work in the rural community and can bring a positive revolution in our agricultural economy.
112 participants (male 101, female 11) representing progressive farmers, representative of Labour & Human Resource Department- Government of Sindh, , officials of livestock department and agriculture department, Employers’ Federation of Pakistan (EFP), representatives of NTUF, Pakistan Workers’ Federation (PWF), local civil society actively contributed in the discussions and showed keen interest in the dissemination of labour legislation, OSH practices particularly relevant to the rural cotton communities.
Ghulfam Nabi Memon and Mr. Ashraf Ali Naqvi former Joint Directors, Department of Labour-Sindh and Resource Persons of the Seminars, through their presentations, sensitized the participants and informed them about their constitutional and legislative rights as well as remedies available within the national laws and relevant regulating institutions related to child labour, forced labour, discrimination, freedom of association, collective bargaining, occupational safety & health and Decent Work. Also, information about existing channels to secure legal, social and economic support were discussed.
Ijaz Ahmed, National Project Coordinator ILO briefed the participants about the ILO, its mandate and tripartism. A series of publications on FPRW produced under the project were disseminated to the participants to enhance their understanding about FPRW and OSH practices.
The participants raised a number of social, economic and cultural challenges that they are facing including decrease in production of cotton, quality of seeds, fertilizer, involvement of middle men, bonded labor, child labor, child education, unemployment, low wages, holidays, overtime, termination, discrimination and poverty etc. and discussed the possible solutions.
Fasihul Karim Siddiqi, Advisor EFP announced that with the efforts of Maula Bux Laghari, President, Small Landlord Association, Mirpur Khas and Noor Mangi, An Agricultural Activist of Sanghar, two Associations of Progressive farmers and landlords are formed under the name Kot Ghulam Muhammad Agricultural Employers (small farmers) Association and Sanghar Agricultural Employers (small farmers) Association. The office bearers of theses associations were introduced to the participants and the process of registration of these trade unions of employers under SIRA 2013 has been initiated
Zaki Ahmed Khan, Vice President EFP while addressing the Seminars through Zoom congratulated the office bearers of the Small Landlord Associations and assured that EFP will extend its full cooperation in improving the working conditions and farm productivity in their agricultural communities which will open a new era of growth and development in agricultural sector
EFP team comprising of Muhammad Akram, Murtaza Naqvi and Muhammad Hassan facilitated the proceedings and deliberations and provided technical and IT support in both the events, while Ms. Nuzhat Jahan provided the background support in organizing these Seminars
