Govt to ban underage domestic workers, LHC told

LAHORE: The Punjab government informed the Lahore High Court (LHC) Thursday that it has decided to ban the employment of children under the age of 15 as domestic workers and a bill regarding rights of domestic workers would be tabled in the provincial assembly soon.

“The rights of domestic workers have been violated ever since Pakistan came into being,” the court remarked and then directed the provincial lawmakers to regulate the wage structure and working hours of domestic workers. The court ruled in the case after the Punjab government provided a draft of the Domestic Workers Bill 2018.

The court was hearing a petition moved by Advocate Sheraz Zaka arguing that in 2015, the former chief justice of LHC had directed the government to frame a policy on domestic workers wages, but failed to do so. Moreover, Assistance Advocate General Rao Shahid Saleem told the court that “as part of the proposed bill, domestic workers’ shifts will be limited to eight hours, whereas special courts and committees will be formed to resolve their problems”.

The provincial law officer informed that the submitted draft plans to ban the employment of children under-15 expressed its satisfaction over the recommendations and referred to it as a positive measure to protect the rights of the domestic workers.

Earlier in 2015, then LHC Chief Justice Mansoor Ali had ordered the government to pass the legislation for the protection of domestic workers. Also, it was argued by the petitioner that Pakistan is a member of International Labour Organisation and has signed about 36 different treaties on workers’ rights; however, the obligations are not being fulfilled by the provincial governments.

Following this, the high court had formed a commission comprising Punjab secretary labour, petitioner counsel Sheraz Zaka and other two advocates Sahar Umer Ata Bandial, Ahmad Pansota advocate and a representative of UNICEF.

The commission had given mandate to report on the government progress to take legislative measures to safeguard the rights of domestic workers. The judge observed that domestic workers were being subjected to long hours work and were being harassed by the employees.