HYDERABAD: Speakers belong to labour and human rights organizations concerned about the poor socio-economic and health conditions, and lacking of the proper implementation of the labour laws and recent legislation of Sindh Women Agriculture Act 2019.
They demanded for the inclusion of agriculture workers in facilities provided by the social security, Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution and Workers Welfare Fund. The women agriculture workers convention was organized by Sindh Community Foundation in cooperation with Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
The participants also demanded that houses of the agriculture workers should be regularized and built in villages. More than 300 women cotton workers from 5 villages of Matiari district held at Hala Old, a small town 60 km away from Hyderabad.
Talking to the participants of convention, Javed Soz head of Sindh Community Foundation said the promulgation of Sindh Women Agriculture Act 2019 is good step of Sindh government towards the protection of the rights of women agriculture workers but implementation of the act is very slower so without placing proper mechanisms and systems this act will be just in papers.
Progressive grower and representative of Sindh Abadgar Board Syed Nadeem Shah was of the view that situation of agriculture is deteriorating day by day due to poor attention and lacking of policies and governance of government.
Labour rights leader Taj Maree said the laws for labour rights protection in agriculture sector have received less attention by the government, he demanded for the registration of workers at local level so that act would be beneficial for the agriculture workers.
Shahnaz Sheedi of South Asia Partnership Pakistan said women agriculture workers need to be protected by mobilizing and sensitizing the growers as well strict monitoring by the labor department.
Yameem Apan said we work hard but receive fewer wages, however, the inflation is increasing and we are unable to feed the family and children by doing the agriculture labour.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021