ISLAMABAD: Women workers from across the country convened here on Friday to celebrate the registration of Pakistan’s first ever all-women trade union.

They reiterated their demands for improving participation of women in economic life, including establishing guidelines for minimum labour standards, in order to ensure uniform protection of constitutional and legal rights of women workers.

The Women Workers Convention, organised by the Women Workers Alliance (WWA) with the support from Trust for Democratic Education and Accountability (TDEA), urged the federal government to establish guidelines on labour standards to be followed by provinces in order to meet the state’s commitments to workers, especially women, under the Constitution, International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s conventions and the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

The registration of the ‘Women Workers Unity’, the first ever all-women trade union, in Lahore marks the advent of a new era in the struggle for workers’ rights in Pakistan. WWA currently operates in 14 major industrial districts and the process of registration of similar trade unions in remaining districts is underway, said the speakers.

Activists seek guidelines for minimum labour standards

The workers’ convention also highlighted other critical areas for reforms. A charter of demands approved by the participants urged the federal and provincial governments to eliminate the discrimination against women in terms of employment as well as in wages, ensure mandatory provision of maternity benefits to women workers, revise penalties and offences provided in labour laws to make them consistent with emerging economic realities, provide one-window registration for all social security benefits and strengthen labour inspection mechanism, including greater investments for its gender-sensitisation.

The participants, including representatives of trade unions such as CDA Mazdoor Union, Iesco Union, Nurses Association, Pakistan Workers’ Federation and Pakistan Sports Board Union, vowed to expand the network of women unions across provinces and work towards the formation of the Women Workers Federation.

With the economic participation of women on a constant decline, such unions are imperative to protect and promote the economic rights of women workers. - a nationwide alliance of women-led trade unions that will sustain the momentum created by the WWAs since 2016

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Minister for Labour and Culture Shaukat Yousafzai, Sindh Minister for Women Development Shehla Raza, Chairperson KP Commission on the Status for Women (KPCSW) Riffat Sardar, Chairperson Sindh Human Rights Commission Justice (retired) Majida Rizvi, Chairperson Sindh Commission on the Status of Women (SCSW) Nuzhat Shirin, Secretary Labour and Human Resources Department Sindh Laeeq Ahmad and others spoke on the occasion.

Mr Yousafzai emphasised educating and organising the workers in order to improve the enforcement of their rights.

He said the KP government was making efforts to increase the number of women among labour inspectors to better protect the women workers. He added that the government was working to ensure payment of salaries through banks to ensure compliance with the notified minimum wages.

Ms Shehla Raza said the Women Development Department of Sindh was actively working for protecting women against any form of discrimination.

Justice Majida Rizvi inaugurated the WWA’s web portal http://wwa-pakistan.org which seeks to connect WWA to women workers as well as raise their issues and demands before a range of stakeholders including government and media.

Mr Laeeq Ahmad said Sindh Employees Social Security Institute (SESSI) had signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) for issuance of Mazdoor Cards to labourers. He stressed the need for holding labour conventions to create favourable conditions for working women.

Ms Riffat Sardar said the KPCSW had established an entrepreneur committee to create awareness among people and investors to promote financial independence among women.

Ms Nuzhat Shirin stressed the need for networking and coalition building among civil society groups, workers’ unions and public organizations to strengthen the struggle for women’s rights.

Ambassador of Netherlands Woulter Plomp sent a video message to the participants expressing is solidarity and resolve to continue supporting women workers’ improved access to market.

TDEA Chief Executive Officer Shahid Fiaz stressed continuation of such efforts and commitments for sustainable results of women workers’ activism to make their workplaces more conducive, safe and sensitive.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2022