KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Tuesday that his government believes that the real human uplift lies in the development of our labour class which is the engine of our industrial growth and growth of our economic system.
This he said while addressing a programme organized by Sindh Labour Department to observe the World Labour Day by distributing welfare grants among the labourers here at Banquest Hall of the CM House today.
The chief minister said that Pakistan Peoples Party right from the tenure of its founder Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had been trying to protect the rights of workers. “It was Shaheed Bhutto who had presented first ever labour policy in 1972 under which the Workers Welfare Ordinance, Employees Old Age Benefit (EOBI) and Industrial Relations Ordinance (IRO) were introduced,” he said and added that the IRO had ensured job security of workers, as the industrial units or companies were bound down to give bonus to their workers. He said that Shaheed Mohterma Benazir Bhutto further worked on labour laws and worked hard to eliminate child labour besides improving labour laws. She reinstated the services of thousands of workers who were removed by dictators from different organisations.
Talking about his government, Shah said that his government presented a comprehensive labour policy devised in consultation with all stakeholders.
He added that the Sindh government had made an effective legilstaion to protect the rights of workers.
He urged the industrialists to contribute as per their share in workers fund so that necessary facilities such as health, education and houses could be provided to the workers of this province.
“They are the strength of your companies ad they are the power of our economy,” he addressed to the industrialists. Shah said: "The martyrs of Chicago are being remembered today but I don’t want to forget the workers. He said that he would work for the welfare of children working on shops to earn square meals of the their families.
“I have a plan to rehabilitate them by providing them stipend equivalent to their earnings and impart them technical education to accommodate them in different industrial units and factories,” he said.
He also recalled the services of Asif Zaradri who introduced 18th Amendment during his tenure as a President of Pakistan under which various labour laws and functions of federal government were devolved to the provinces.
Those who spoke on the occasion include Raza Rabbani who shed light on the struggle of labourers for their rights all over the world.
He also spoke about different legislations introduced by PPP government for upholding the rights of workers.
Rabbani criticized the prime minister for inaugurating new Islamabad airport on International Labour Day and also lashed out for removing the name of Shaheed Mohterma Benazir Bhutto from the new airport.
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