KARACHI - Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani Sunday called for urgent compliance to the landmark decision of the Supreme Court (SC) against the third party contract system in public sector organisations.

Addressing a seminar here at Karachi Press Club, he said provision of employment and protection of workers’ right had been guaranteed under the constitution.

“It is therefore incumbent upon both the federal and provincial governments to fulfill their constitutional obligations towards the workers,” he said.

The Senate chairman said the practice to hire workers on contract through the third party system has become a tool of exploitation which needed to be completely abolished. He said responsibility also lay upon the masses, particularly the working class, to join hands for protection of their rights at every level.

He referred to the years when contract system was introduced in the country and gradually strengthened to safeguard the vested interests of the affluent pertaining to different sections of the society.

Highlighting relevance of the court’s decision to eliminate the contract system, he assured the participants of the seminar that the issue would be raised with the governments.

“I as a public representative will approach the quarters concerned and ensure that the decision is implemented in its true spirit,” he added.

He reiterated that immediate compliance of the law was needed in both public and private sectors ensuring that all contract workers were duly regularized without any delay.

Mian Raza Rabbani assured the workers that their grievances would also be communicated to the authorities for early redressal.

Other speakers including Anis Haroon (Member of Human Rights Commission), Rashid A Rizvi (Former President of Supreme Court Layers’ Association), Karamat Ali (Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research), senior trade unionist Liaqut Ali Sahi and KPC President Ahmed Khan Malik appreciated that the petition filed by daily wage earners, contract employees and workers hired under third party contractual system could help end their exploitation.

The Supreme Court had only recently declared the practice of contract employment a violation of articles 9 and 25 of the constitution ordering the authorities of NBP and PSO to ensure regularization of the employment of workers.

Workers and pensioners associated with National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Pakistan State Oil (PSO) had approached the court for redressal of their grievances.

Anis Haroon of HRCP mentioned that the minimum wage of Rs.15,000 for the workers, which was too little to meet the needs of an average sized family was not being enforced.

Rashid A Rizvi said it was high time that constitution was enforced in letter and spirit ultimately paving way for a strong democratic culture in the country.

The event was largely attended by the workers from the media industry as well from other sectors.