Coronavirus outbreak: Labour body expresses dissatisfaction over govt steps to protect workers

ISLAMABAD: The National Labour Federation (NLF) has expressed dissatisfaction over measures taken by the federal and provincial government to protection of livelihood of workers during the complete and partial lockdown across the country.

The Majlis-e-Shoora of the NLF which met online with the Federation’s President Shamsur Rehman Swati in the chair observed that hundreds of thousands of workers were removed from jobs in the last over two months while the federal and provincial governments did nothing and acted as silent spectators.

“The federal and provincial governments did nothing and their decisions restricted to statements,” the meeting observed while appreciating role of NGOs like the Al Khidmat Foundation Pakistan for providing dry ration to lacs of labourers in the country.

The meeting, however, appreciated government’s Ehsaas Programme according to which Rs12,000 per person were distributed but pointed out that still a large number of people were deprived of the relief all over the country.

The meeting while passing a declaration observed that the governments not only failed in protection of jobs of workers but also failed in ensuring provision of ration and relief packages to them.

The meeting through the declaration demanded of the government to stop deduction of Rs2000 from the EOBI pension must be stopped and decision of minimum monthly wages of Rs15000 be ensured.

The meeting demanded of the government to unify all the labour laws, made National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC) and labour courts as labour friendly and stop police from taking action against leaders of various organisations.

The NLF also called upon the government to take steps for registration of informal labour with the EOBI and social security and take action against those industrial units which refuse to implement government orders.

Expressing concerns over reports relating to Pakistan Steels, the meeting asked the government to take those to task who were responsible for playing havoc with the organisation which was like mother of the industrial sector.

The NLF also asked the minister for Railways and Railways administration to change their attitude towards employees and do not make issues as matter of their ego.