Malik Tahir Javaid, President of the Employers Federation of Pakistan (EFP), emphasized that adopting responsible business practices promotes decent work, enterprise sustainability, and social justice. He spoke at the National Conference on Responsible Businesses and the 10th Employer of the Year Award Distribution, held in Karachi. The ceremony, organized by the Employers Federation of Pakistan with support from the International Labor Organization, aimed to raise awareness about responsible business practices and recognize the best practices demonstrated by enterprises.

In his opening remarks, the EFP president expressed his gratitude to Minister of Labor Shahid Abdul Salam Thahim for his presence and the ILO for their collaboration on the session. He highlighted the importance of fair and ethical business practices. He explained how the Employers Federation of Pakistan (EFP) actively promotes fair practices and advances the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to achieve decent work for all and realize the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. The EFP has been organizing the Employer of the Year (EOY) ceremony for the past ten years to promote best practices and encourage organizations to embrace their ethical and legal responsibilities for inclusive development. He also emphasized the importance of complying with labor legislation and international standards for the industry to meet the requirements of GSP+ and remain competitive in the global economy.

Minister for Labor and HR and the Chief guest at the National Conference and the 10th EOY awards, Shahid Abdul Salam Thahim, extended his regards to the EFP, ILO and all the participants at the conference. He exhibited appreciation to the awardees and highlighted how the establishment of responsible practices within the employers’ organizations enhances the economic conditions of the businesses by allowing more freedom to workers, which entails a dedicated and robust workforce.

In his video, Philippe Oliver Gross, the EU’s Charge D’Affaires, portrayed the commitment towards advocating for fair and ethical business practices. He focused on the ideology of promoting free trade while ensuring that businesses comply with important regulations that support a sustainable economy. By emphasizing accountability, he assured that the EU aims to create an environment where businesses can succeed responsibly. He highlighted the goal to achieve sustainable gains for everyone involved and mentioned how the EU continues to set a positive global perspective through these efforts.

Majyd Aziz, former president EFP, emphasized the importance of responsible business practices for the Employers of Pakistan, especially for getting the benefits provided by the GSP+ framework. He pointed out that businesses should prioritize profits and the social welfare of their communities. He pointed out that adhering to these principles will help create a positive business environment and attain sustainable mutual benefits. He appreciated that the member organizations are supporting EFP efforts in creating a culture of compliance by adopting best practices in their interest and the country’s interest. He also conjugated the winning companies and appreciated their efforts in ensuring decent working conditions to support the community and the overall climate.

Yulia Bazhenova, Head of the TextILES Project at GIZ, thanked the EFP and ILO and congratulated the awardees for their impressive performance throughout the year. She explained the purpose of establishing the Responsible Business Helpdesk by GIZ. She said it is a key resource for businesses looking to adopt responsible practices and compliance with conditionalities by the GSP+ and the EU due diligence framework. The helpdesk provides practical support and advice to ensure businesses can contribute positively to their communities and the environment.

A panel was set to scale up action on advancing responsible business practices, which consisted of Mr Saghir Bukhari, Senior Programme Officer ILO Pakistan, Ms Kiran Zubair, Labor Rights Specialist, Human Rights Department, Govt. of Sindh, Ch. Saad Muhammad, Deputy General Secretary of the Pakistan Workers Federation, and Mr. Mustafa Ahmad, General Manager of Sustainability and ESG, Artistic Milliners. The panellist highlighted the importance of responsible businesses and informed how their respective departments and organizations are supporting and contributing to responding to the challenges of sustainable development and compliance.

Geir Tonstol, Country Director of ILO Pakistan, appreciated the efforts the EFP has been organizing for the EOY ceremony to recognize the best practices of the companies, which are important for promoting decent work and achieving social justice. He praised the contributions of all stakeholders in ensuring decent work and sustainable growth, highlighted the vital role of strong employers’ organizations in developing the economy, and mentioned the need for upholding legal and ethical responsibilities for a more inclusive business environment. He emphasized the importance of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRWs) and congratulated the awardees for their exemplary efforts in complying with the regulations and becoming businesses that fulfill their duties responsibly for the 10th EOY Awards.

Syed Nazar Ali expressed his sincere gratitude to Hon’ble Minister Labour, Shahid Abdul Salam Thahim, Geir Tonstol, Country Director of the ILO, and all the participants for attending the conference. He described the process and the criteria of the selection and said EFP has a rigorous methodology is used by EFP for the evaluation of the awards such as good practices going beyond compliance throughout the employee lifecycle, promoting decent work, advancing SDGs, and a scoring system to create fair and equitable representation of the awards.

The Hon’ble Minister’s insightful remarks, alongside the application from all the speakers and the panellists, set a positive tone for the event, which continued with the much-anticipated 10th EOY Awards 2024 ceremony, celebrating the achievements of outstanding employers.

Several companies were honoured for their exemplary business practices at the recent awards ceremony. The CEO of the Year Awards were presented to Feroze1888 Mills Ltd and K-Electric Limited. The Position Holder Awards were given to Feroze1888 Mills Ltd, Lotte Chemical Pakistan Limited, K-Electric Limited, Pak-Qatar Asset Management Company Limited, Pakistan Mobile Communications Limited, Harbin Electric International Company Limited, Pak Arab Refinery Limited, Masood Textile Mills Ltd., Sino Sindh Resources Private Limited, and Nishat Mills Limited (Apparel Division). Additionally, 36 companies received Recognition Awards for their commitment to responsible business practices beyond mere compliance, while 7 were awarded Participation Awards for promoting best business practices.