WEBCOP and FES to enhance cooperation

"Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) will continue to provide technical and financial support and guidance to Workers Employers Bilateral Council of Pakistan (WEBCOP) and will work closely in matters related to labour legislation after 18th Amendment, CPEC, and GSP Plus so that both stakeholders, that is, workers and employers, continue to achieve their common objectives for the economic prosperity of Pakistan." This was stated by Rolf Paasch, the new Resident Director of FES in Islamabad at a meeting with the leadership of WEBCOP.
Passch informed the meeting that was presided by Majyd Aziz, President Employers' Federation of Pakistan, who alongwith Chairman WEBCOP Ahsanullah Khan, and Secretary General Khamosh Gul Khattak were part of the 14 member team, that European Union is commissioning a new study on GSP Plus status given to Pakistan and in its previous report, EU had mentioned WEBCOP in a positive manner. He informed that EU Commission is monitoring GSP Plus and therefore WEBCOP must play its role in ensuring that labour standards are implemented.
Paasch also advised that WEBCOP should advocate with government to integrate labour legislation with CPEC. He said that WEBCOP has been able to prepare pragmatic proposals for labour policies and drafts of labour laws and this has been appreciated even by EU Commission.
Earlier, Majyd Aziz introduced WEBCOP and highlighted its progress and achievements. He said WEBCOP is an unique step where workers and employers sit on the same side of the table. He also said that EFP will ensure that WEBCOP achieved its designated goals and that EFP would be promoting it even at international forums. Ahsanullah Khan stated that WEBCOP is not a concept or idea but it is a movement. He said that we desire a harmonious relationship instead of any class conflicts. He added that WEBCOP has already given 17 proposals for labour policies and drafts on labour legislation. He said that in the absence of a viable industrial policy, the industrial sector is weakening while the traders are flourishing and gaining strength. This is impacting employment and resulting in an environment of extremism and social unrest.
Khamosh Gul Khattak, Noormuhammad, Shaukat Ahmed, Zulfiquar Shah, and Shaifq Ghauri were among those who spoke on behalf of workers while Asif Zuberi, U R Usmani, A H Haidari, and Nazar Ali contributed the viewpoint of employers. Abdul Qadir of FES thanked WEBCOP for attending this important consultative meeting.-PR