Participants of a Labour Conference suggested to the government today to make amendments to Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1992 and implement the newly-inserted article 25-A under the 18th Amendment for bringing an end to child labour.
The conference was organised on the issue of bonded labour by the Society for Protection of Rights of Children (SPARC) with the support of action aid and European Union to mark the World Day of Social Justice.
Asking the government to amend Employment of Children Act, the conference also called for the amendments to and implementation of Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1992 and other labour related laws in the country.
Addressing the conference, Punjab Labour Minister Haji Ahsan-ud-Din Qureshi said that the Punjab government took a number of positive steps like lifting ban from the labour inspection in factories and brick kilns and notified the district level vigilance committee in Multan.
He added that labour department appreciated the efforts made by SPARC for the bonded labourers especially kiln workers by establishing the 20 Model Brick Kilns with the support of Action Aid and European Union. He disclosed that the government is trying to bring all stakeholders and organisation like SPARC on board for making amendments in BLSAA-1992 and other labour laws.
National Manager, SPARC Bonded Labour, Kashif Bajeer, called for protecting the rights of kiln workers and bonded labourers by registering them under the Employees' Old Age Benefits Institution and social security schemes. Giving suggestions, he asked the government to eliminate weaknesses from the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1992 before its implementation, re-allocate Rs 100m earmarked for rehabilitation of bonded labourers by the previous government, and devise a mechanism for providing access to liberated peasants by the departments of health and education through the local government. He demanded of the government to involve law enforcing agencies and judges for dealing with the issues of bonded labourers and child labour.
The conference was also addressed by Sajjad Cheema, Ahmed Khan Leghari, Deputy Director Labour Multan, Zahid Thebo, Rashid Rehman, Baboo Nafees Ansari former MPA, Brick Kilns owner professor Ishrat Hussain Busry, Hyacinth Peter and Naseem Akhter.
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