Pakistan Workers' Federation Activities During Year 2009-2010

 

Pakistan Workers Federation has been carrying out concerted struggle during the year 2009-2010 despite multidimensional challenges facing the country such as rising terrorism due to backlash of Afghan war and impact of international financial crisis and ravages of the furious flood in Pakistan which affected 22 million people of all the four Provinces of the country including Khyber Pukhtoonkhawa, Southern Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan  making them shelter less and causing colossal loss to their properties and crops and in some cases loss of human lives. This state of affairs had seriously affected the world of work and gave rise to unemployment and poverty in the country whereas the Government had already sought help of IMF for bailing out.

 

2.                     Despite these odds, Pakistan Workers Federation has been carrying out concerted struggle to:

i)                      Promote and defend the fundamental rights of the workers and tackling unemployment and poverty and carryout out flood relief work and has been putting pressure upon the policy makers to give priority to the concept of Decent Work in line with the ILO Global Job Pact, 2009 and taking concrete measures not only to provide rescue during flood and provide relief and carryout out rehabilitation to the flood affected people.

ii)                    According to the recent U.N. Report there are still 10 million people shelter less in Sindh Province alone as yet. The rising cost of living had added fuel to the fire to the working class by reduction of their purchasing power and real wages.

iii)                  As a result of concerted struggle of the working class the Prime Minister of Pakistan has announced Labour Policy on 1^st May, 2010 which raised the minimum wages of unskilled workers from Rs.6000/- to Rs.7000/- per month and also announced other measures to be taken for welfare of the workers.

iv)                  The adoption of 18^th Amendment in the Constitution of Pakistan in February, 2010, transferred the subject of  “Trade Unions; Industrial and Labour Disputes, Item No.27” from Concurrent List to Provincial List which has consequential effect to debar the workers from exercising their fundamental right of Freedom of Association in case they intend to get the nation-wide Trade Union and Federation registered from National Industrial Relations Commission as well as to get adjudicated their industrial disputes involving the workers of more than one Province and determination of Collective Bargaining Agent Trade Union of workers in nation-wide enterprises / institutions. This amendment is in contradiction to the Fundamental Guaranteed Rights of the Workers under Article 17-A of the Constitution of Pakistan and in violation of international obligations undertaken by the Government of Pakistan by ratifying ILO Core Conventions Nos.87 and 98 since it denies the workers to have any national legal regulatory authority to get registered their nation-wide trade unions and Federations and get determined Collective Bargaining Agent of nation-wide enterprises and get adjudicated their industrial disputes involving workers of more than one Province. The Federation has filed a Writ Petition before the Supreme Court of Pakistan to get declared the said Constitutional amendment being in violation of the Fundamental Rights of the Workers i.e. Freedom of Association guaranteed under Article 17-A of the Constitution of Pakistan and the principles of international obligations undertaken by the Government of Pakistan by ratifying ILO Core Conventions Nos.87 and 98.

v)                    Despite these odds, the Federation has not only been carrying out various activities for promotion of welfare of the workers, but also has brought various registered trade unions within the fold of the Federation.

vi)                  It has also been promoting the Capacity Building of the affiliated trade unions through Workers Education and Training Programme and impressing upon the Government to bring progressive labour legislation in conformity with ILO Conventions and adopt National Economic Self Reliance Policy which can provide Decent Work and develop national industries and agriculture and abridge the widening gap between the rich and the poor, raise human resources development for the youth entering into labour market @ 1.8 million every year.

vii)                Promoting gender parity in economic and social fields.

viii)              Urging the Government to take measures to eliminate the abuse of child and bonded labour and their rehabilitation.

ix)                  Promoting social dialogue through bipartism and tripartism and provide social protection to the workers and relief to the victims of the flood affected people.

x)                    It has also been helping the affiliated trade unions in Collective Bargaining with their employer through technical assistance, dissemination of information and knowledge on labour issues among their rank and file of their affiliated trade unions through publication of literature on various subjects.

 

2.                     The Federation has been carrying out campaigns for upholding the workers’ rights and promotion of Decent Work through holding rallies and protest marches against unjust economic and social and labour policies of the Government and observing May Day all over the country and also observed Protest Days on 3^rd November, 2010 in order to press their demands and raise voice of the working class for bringing social & economic and labour reforms in the country.

 

3.                     The Federation has also been carrying out:

(a)                Special programme for the economic and social uplift of the Women by holding various activities for their Capacity Building.

(b)               Carrying out campaign on various labour issues including child labour and boned labour.

(c)                Promoting social dialogue.

(d)               Raising research development and adoption of economic and social policies for promotion of concept of Decent Work and providing social protection.

 

4.                     During this period, the affiliated unions of the Federation have also been able to achieve some positive progress through undertaking collective bargaining including in Water and Power Sector employing more than 1,50,000 workers and Capital Development Authority employing 16,000 workers and other private and public sectors organizations by raising their emoluments and fringe benefits.

 

5.                     That is the reason that the Government has also announced 50% increase in the wages of the public sector employees during budget 2010 through momentum campaign and concerted struggle of the Federation by holding rallies and protest marchers for acceptance of the just demands of the workers during the year 2010.

 

6.                     The Federation also carried out positive activities for providing relief to the victims of the flood in Pakistan through voluntary contribution of its members and members of the affiliated trade unions in all the four Provinces of the country but these are far lower than the requirement of the victims.

 

7.                     The Federation through its affiliated trade union, Pakistan WAPDA Hydro Electric Central Labour Union has built a new Labour Hall in Quetta, Balochistan which provide various facilities including Meeting Hall, Secretariat and residential accommodation for the members.

8.                     The Federation has also been observing International days including Women Day on 8^th March, 2010 for upholding rights of women, International Day for Injured Workers on 28^th April, 2010, International Decent Work Day on 7^th October, 2010, International Children Day, International Safety Day, International Labour Day on 1^st May, 2010 to create awareness and highlight the importance of these days both in our activities as well as print and electronic media and also pressurizing the policy makers to evolve their policies which can help to raise employment opportunities for the youth and Make the Work Place safer, etc.

9.                     The affiliated trade union namely Pakistan WAPDA Hydro Electric Central Labour Union has also been making concerted efforts to save the public utility of Water and Power for its privatization.

 

10.                   During this period, the Federation has developed a research center which has been making contribution through publication on various labour subjects in order to highlight the same before the policy makers and in national electronic and print media in order to project the view point of the workers on important issues concerning the World of Work.

 

11.                   During this period the one of our major Union namely Pakistan Telecommunication Employees Union (CBA) having 44000 members went on strike. The said Telecommunication Company was previously owned by the Government of Pakistan completely. It was later on de-regulated by selling shares @ 26% to the foreign company and handing over its management to the said foreign company of United Arab Emirates namely                           and handing over its management to the said foreign Company. The management of the Government Corporation namely Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited through courtesy of the Government of Pakistan has entered into settlement with the Union at that time that the workers employed under Government service would continue to avail the allowances and terms and conditions and other benefits which may be allowed by the Government of Pakistan from time to time to the Government and Semi-Government employees by the Government of Pakistan. The Government of Pakistan has announced from time to time increase in pay to its employees which was also allowed by the PTCL foreign management to its employees on the demand of the Union for the year 2008 and 2009.

 

12.                   The Government of Pakistan was also pleased to raise salaries of the public sector employees @ 50% of their basic pay on account of high price hike during the year 2010. The Union raised damned that the said facility may also be extended to the PTCL employees, but the management neither entered into meaningful negotiation with the Union as required under the law nor settled the said demand. On the contrary, the management approached the National Industrial Relations Commission and the Honourable Lahore High Court to get stopped lawful trade union activities of the workers for redressal of their genuine grievances. The Honourable National Industrial Relations Commission and the Lahore High Court, Lahore asked the management to hold negotiation with the Union for settling the demands of the workers amicably.  The management instead of holding any negotiation and dialogue with the Union resorted to get registered false cases against the main office bearers of the Union including Rana Hassan Muhammad, General Secretary of the Union under Anti-Terrorism laws and get them arrested. However, on a Petition made by the Union, the Honourable Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench ordered to release them on bail. The Union has lodged a complaint before ILO with the request to ask the Government of Pakistan to get resolved this issue amicably by getting respected the principles of Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining by the Company and the Government of Pakistan.