The government has no concern for informal workers, as there is no policy or programme for home based workers. There is dire need to ratify ILO Convention (C-177) on Home workers. This will enable them to stand at equal footing with the workers of formal sectors.
This statement was given by Aqsa Khan from Social and Women Rights Unit, Actionaid at "Media briefing on home-based women workers working in informal sector" here on Thursday.
The informal sector comprises of small enterprises of one or more persons, with casual or regular employees of less than 10 people. It has three categories: self-employed, casual workers and home-based workers. In Pakistan majority of women workers is confined with home based works.
On the occasion she said that the informal sector in Pakistan particularly home-based women workers is expanding at a fast pace. The reason is inflow of the rural migrants to the cities, which caused shortage of job opportunities in modern urban sector, both for the rural migrants as well as the urban dwellers.
Immersed in poverty over 10 to 15 million women irrespective of age limit are engaged in home based works. According to surveys by 'Actionaid' they earn merely Rs 1200-1500 per month.
The government's move to adjust a threshold for minimum wages will not bring any change for informal sector. Middlemen are exploiting them to work at nominal wages. They have no option instead of working as they have to meet their economic problems. This is not the end, they also bear the loss of any damage to their project. Similarly the workers have to work at their own risk, as there is no concept of medical treatment.
A survey of Bangle Industry conducted by "Actionaid' reveals that almost every woman was suffering from eye disease. Welfare of these workers is contingent on their recognition as formal workers.
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