KARACHI - Sindh Minister for Labour, Transport and Information Syed Nasir Hussain Shah has said that the present government has won the hearts of labourers as it has given them rights through maximum participation in decision making in the new labour policy.

He was addressing a press conference along with the representatives of Workers including Habibuddin Junaidi, Karamat Ali and Representatives of Employers including Majyd Aziz, Secretary Labour Abdur Rasheed Solangi and Commissioner SESSI Dr Nasimul Ghani Sahto and others at New Sindh Secretariat here on Sunday.

Minister Labour said that the government has also given the legal rights to the labourers for protection of their employments and privileges as laid down in new labour policy announced recently. Under the Directions of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the government has also transferred its powers to the labourers, which will make them more prosperous and strengthen. 

Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that new labour policy has been consulted with the representatives of all labour leaders their organizations and employers were also consulted in this regard.  He said that government’s participation had been reduced from 40 per cent to 20 per cent while labourers participation had been increased up to 40 per cent.

Legislation was also made to protect the rights of deceased labourers and their families according to recommendations made by the labours representatives. All legislation was made following the directives of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to safeguard the rights of labourers. He further said that to compensate the Baldia Factory incident workers, all issues have been settled down on priority. Board has been constituted to resolve of all issues of workers under new labour policy, he added.

Representative of employers, Majyd Aziz said that under ILO 144, the government took decisions after consulting properly. He underlined the need for reconstitution of social security board. He said that new labour policy had been devised for the benefits of labourers, not anyone’s interests.  He further said that new labour policy would be sent to other provinces to formulate and adopt the same for their labourers immediately.

Representatives of labourers  Habibuddin Junaidi said that the steps were being taken to implement the labour policy. “Government has transferred their powers to the labourer’s board rights. After New Labour Policy K-Electric and other institutions will resolve the issues of labourers,” he added.

Karamat Ali of PILER also called for implementing the new policy in letter and spirit. He hoped that the government will take steps to implement the policy as it was made in the legislation. He said that though unregistered workers were in high numbers in the country despite that only 60,000 workers were registered under SESSI. He further said that now the journalists will have to register under social workers fund.