Law to protect home-based workers rights demanded

LAHORE: Representatives of home-based workers from different areas of Lahore and officials from different government departments met in a consultation “Rights of Home-Based Worker and Need for Legal Protection” on here Tuesday, organised by Labour Education Foundation on the occasion of International Home-Based Worker Day.

A large number of home-based workers, civil society organisations and government representatives attended this consultation. There are 20 million home-based workers (HBWs) in Pakistan of which 71 per cent (two-third) are women. Most of them are piece-rate workers, involved in manufacturing and post-manufacturing tasks, such as garment stitching, embroidery, knitting, carpet weaving and handlooms, woodwork, shoe-making and other handicrafts, bangle making, fruit and vegetable processing and packaging, etc.