Pakistan: labour legislation and fundamental rights

Abstract

REPORT□ PAKISTAN LABOURRIGHTS Pakistan: labour legislation and fundamental rights The 18th Constitutional Amendment... has created a paradoxical situationdenying the right of freedomof association to the national industry-wide tradeunionsand federations Secretary of the Pakistan ■ ■ r«JnwMnw«ranún imm mimi Labour cordial topromote legislation labour the management welfare inPakistan ofthe relations aims workers, to in ensure order raise Labour cordial labourmanagement relations inorder topromote thewelfare oftheworkers, raise productivity andensuresocialjustice insociety. It isalsomeant topromote industrial peace through mutual consultation anddialogue between therepresentatives oftheemployers andworkers. Unfortunately, the18th Constitutional Amendment introduced bytheGovernment has deleteditem No.27oftheConcurrent List, namely 'trade unions and industrial labourdispute'and devolvedthis subject totheProvincial List. Thisamendment hascreated a paradoxical situationdenying theright offreedom ofassociation tothenational industry-wide trade unions andfederations and nationalemployers federation from getting theirorganisation registered and obtain legalstatus. Theeffect ofthis amendment isthat trade unions that promote national unity andharmony anddefeat divisive forces based upon ethnic, parochial and religioussectarian forces, might be confined to workonlyattheProvincial level. Thisamendment isnotonlyinviolation offundamental rights enshrined inArticle 17/Aofthe PakistanConstitution pertaining to Freedomof Association andCollective Bargaining, butalso of international obligations undertaken bythegovernment ofPakistan, including ILO Conventions No. 87 & 98. Various provincial governments including Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhunkhwa, Balochistan hadadopted Provincial Industrial Relations Legislation' in recentmonths.The ProvincialGovernment of Punjab initslegislation, namely "Industrial Relations Act2010',has debarred 'theworkers engagedin establishments having lessthan50workers. Ithas done so on thegroundthatthemajority ofthe workers areengagedinsmallandmedium enterprises . Thegovernment claimsthat theseworkers havenoright either toform trade unions ortohave a collective voice to attain socialjusticethrough exercising their fundamental right offreedom of association andcollective bargaining inconformitywithILO Conventions 87 and98. Had thelegislators takenthetrouble toconsult theessentialstakeholders priorto bringing the Constitutional Amendment on labourissues,this legalvacuumwouldnothaveoccurred. TheILO hasrecommended totheGovernment ofPakistan toreview thislegislation andconstitutionalamendment tobring itintoconformity with international obligations. The ProvincialGovernment should honour nationalconstitutional obligations by removing restrictions formembership oftradeunionsfrom workers inenterprises with fewer than50employees , something whichis notonlyanti-democratic butalso inviolation ofthefundamental rights of workers. ...Continuedfrom Page 25 ersconstitutes an impediment toone oftheprincipal objectivesoftheguaranteeoffreedom of association - theforming ofindependent organisations explicitly capableofconcluding collective agreements." TheFraser decisiondoes notbode wellfor the future ofcollective bargaining rights inCanadaand leavesagricultural workers in a precarious position .SeveralSupremeCourtjudgeswillbe retiringinthenextfour yearsandtherecently elected right-wing Conservative federal government will makethenewappointments. The fearis thatthe newappointments willcontinue rolling backcollective bargaining rights. On May30,2011,theCanadianFoundation for Labour Rights helda seminar inToronto todiscuss theimplications oftheFraser decision. Participants includedprominent tradeunionlawyers, academicsandunionleaders . Therewasconsensus that thetradeunionmovement willhaveto takethis dance outside of the courtsand concentrate resources in political mobilisation. Therewillbe anelection inOntario this fall andtheUFCW intends tomakeagricultural workers' bargaining rights an election issue.Wewillhavetowaitandsee ifany ofthepolitical parties or thefuture government willcomeon thedancefloor. INTERNATIONAL union rights Page 28Volume 18Issue 2201 1 ...