The Employers Federation of Pakistan (EFP) arranged an Employers’ Consultation on the Draft Sindh Labour Code. More than 25 Employers and their representatives representing EFP Board of Directors, representatives from the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), SITE Association of Industry, FB Area Association of Trade and Industry, North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry, Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association, Pakistan Ready Made Garments Association and Members EFP Legal and IR Committee.
Giving the background Syed Nazar Ali Secretary General EFP informed that the development of the draft Sindh Labour Code is part of the Sindh Government Labour Laws Reform initiatives to consolidate, rationalize and simplify the labour legislation as committed in the first Sindh Labour Policy 2018 on the recommendations of workers and employers. The draft of the labour code has been developed through the consolidation of more than 20 legislations by the experts from ILO, including local consultants, in consultation with officers from the labour department to remove duplicates and anomalies and align it with international labour standards.
Syed Nazar Ali also informed that the labour department has consulted workers and employers’ representatives to seek their input. However, EFP, considering that the new code will have direct consequences for employers and industrial relations, has arranged this consultation to discuss and deliberate the new draft of the Sindh.
Labour Code to identify the areas of concern for employers and formulate consensus recommendations for submission to the Government. Engineer Jabbar (FPCCI) pointed out some very important issues about the code and said it is an opportunity for employers to make valuable recommendations, making the legislation industry-friendly. Mr Irfan emphasized the importance of making the legislation responsive to the changing needs of the industry due to the use of new modern technologies, including AI.
He also stressed the need for training of labour inspectors to ensure improvement in the labour inspection system. Khadim Rasool talked about the EU due diligence system and said the code must include the compliances and requirements of GSP Plus and other international institutions to promote Exports. Ahmed Azeem Alavi also emphasized the need to make the code industry-friendly, supporting local businesses’ growth and context in the development process.
Humayun Nazir, Chairman EFP Sub Committee on Legal and IR said Labour laws are important for the smooth operation of the industries and for protecting the rights of working people. The laws must be business-friendly to support industrialization and the creation of decent employment. He then made a detailed presentation highlighting major sections of the code with important clauses and the proposed changes. A comparison of existing provisions and the proposed changes. After an in-depth discussion, a consensus on many basic clauses, including definitions and terms of employment, was reached by the sub-committee.
Committees were also constituted to investigate each clause thoroughly and prepare a revised draft justifying proposed changes. The committee will submit its report within 10 days. The recommendations furnished by the committee will be presented to a larger group of employers from all important employers’ associations for confirmation and endorsement.
