SIALKOT – Sialkot Chamber has a policy of zero tolerance for non-compliance of Labour Standards in the area of child labour and other socially responsible labour practices and supports positive role of enterprises in promoting CSR through social compliance. This was stated by Qaiser Iqbal Baryar, the President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry who was speaking as the Chief Guest at the Tripartite Plus Meeting to Promote Social Dialogue on Best Labour Practices organized by Employer’s Federation of Pakistan(EFP) in collaboration with Sialkot Chamber of Commerce & Industry and International Labour Organization at Jeevens Hotel Sialkot.
ILO representing Muzammil, Muhammad Ali Butt and Muhammad Saad representing Pakistan Workers Federation, Major (R) Javed Akhter, Manager Director Forward Gears, Abdul Waheed Sandal, former EFP board member, Fasihul Karim Siddiqui, advisor EFP and Syed Nazar Ali, director EFP board also addressed the meeting.
SCCI President congratulated EFP and ILO for organizing the social dialogue and expressed satisfaction on the fact that efforts for elimination of child labor by Soccer Ball Industry in Sialkot had gained global recognition today. He stated that the Sialkot model framework for elimination of child labour could be replicated in the lower tiers of the supply chain and other industrial sectors. He assured full support of the Chamber in ensuring full compliance of social and labour standards with an attitude of zero tolerance for non-compliance.
Qaiser Baryar also announced that Sialkot Chamber was going to setup a state-of-the-art skill university to meet the specific needs of Sialkot industry which will fill the wide gap that existed currently in the technical education system of the country.
Earlier, Zaki Ahmed Khan, Vice President Employer’s Federation of Pakistan(EFP), in his remarks, thanked Sialkot Chamber for their extending cooperation to EFP and ILO in successfully carrying out various productive activities under the MNED project.
“It was now important for the Sialkot Industry not only to promote wider dissemination of its efforts and achievements in elimination of child labour but it was equally necessary to draw a comprehensive strategy to sustain these efforts”, he added. In this context he proposed the formation of a national task force to be headed by the president SCCI, which can steer the efforts to combat the challenge of child labour in other sectors of industry at a national scale. SCCI president accepted the proposition and assured to work together with EFP to draw out the details of the task force for its successful and productive working.
A focused group discussion also took place in which the participants representing employers, workers and government discussed measures to be taken by the sports goods industry to sustain their efforts in elimination of child labour besides discussing measures needed to replicate the successful efforts in the lower tiers of supply chain and other sectors and ways and means to promote social dialogues to achieve decent work at the work place.
The participants actively took part in the dialogue and made presentations reflecting the perspective of employers and workers and governments on these important issues.
