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Pakistan: Consultation on the Draft Punjab Domestic Workers Policy 2015

Pakistan: Consultation on the Draft Punjab Domestic Workers Policy 2015

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by IDWFED published Feb 06, 2015 12:00 AM
Contributors: HomeNet Pakistan(HNP)
This consultation was arranged by HNP to bring stakeholders under the same roof so that they could discuss the issues faced by DWs threadbare and submit suggestions on how to bring improvements in their lives. The consultation was attended by labor rights activists, trade union leaders, representatives of NGOs, DWs, officials of the Punjab labor department, media personnel and others. The salient features of the policy were also shared during the consultation.

Resource Type

Activity or Event Report

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Domestic workers' situation in Pakistan is best summed up by the findings of a recent survey of DWs by HomeNet Pakistan (HNP) and cited by its executive director Ume Laila Azhar. The survey report reveals that 55 percent of the workers do not know that they are covered under labor laws, 46 percent are not aware of their rights as workers, 56 percent do not have control over the wages they earn and 62 percent do not know whether any complaint redressal mechanisms exists for them or not.

Taking notice of the situation, the HNP has launched different campaigns for the rights of women workers in the informal sector including the DWs. The organization has constantly engaged with the government and lobbied with it for introduction of policies and legislation that ensure due rights of the informal sector women workers. The HNP also involved 200 DWs in a project in Islamabad and mobilized them for their common cause. It was not an easy task as employers were reluctant to allow them leave from work.

The HNP has regularly demanded of the government to ratify ILO Domestic Workers Convention, (C-189) that provides guidance and benchmarks to ensure decent work in the domestic work sector. It has also worked on a draft policy and a draft bill on DWs and submitted them with the Punjab Labor Department.

The drafts are under consideration and the Punjab Labor Department has plans to announce the Punjab Domestic Workers’ Policy, 2015 after taking stakeholders on-board and getting their input.

This consultation was arranged by HNP to bring stakeholders under the same roof so that they could discuss the issues faced by DWs threadbare and submit suggestions on how to bring improvements in their lives. The consultation was attended by labor rights activists, trade union leaders, representatives of NGOs, DWs, officials of the Punjab labor department, media personnel and others. The salient features of the policy were also shared during the consultation.

Meeting with Department of Labour and Human Resource on Taking Forward The Protection of Domestic Workers in Punjab

2015-2-6 Pakistan: Meeting with Department of Labour and Human Resource on Taking Forward The Protection of Domestic Workers in Punjab

06 Feb, 2015 - Agenda

Timings

Topic

Discussants

03.00 hrs

Welcome ,Objectives and Introduction

03.15 hrs

Taking forward the DWs agenda

Processes so far

HNP

03.30 hrs

Outline of the DW policy framework and suggestive legislative draft  for the protection of DWs

Open discussion on the proposed outlines

04.30 hrs

Future directions for the protection DW in Punjab

Department of Labour

05.30 hrs

Open Discussion , Recommendations and future actions

05.45 hrs

Closing  at Tea

Contents

URL

https://www.flickr.com/photos/idwf/albums/72157657797386212
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