Labor Rights in Pakistan

Ahsan Pawan Asad Sumair

Labor union or a trade union is a voluntary organization of workers formed to bargain collectively with management about wagers and terms of employment, such as working hours, over time, holiday, leaves and other benefits.

 In case of a labor or industrial dispute the most effective weapon that unions can use is to call a strike which Is walkout and work stoppage. On the other hand, if the management shuts down the work place to pressure workers to accepts its term.

Labor Rights
The constitution of Pakistan contains a range of provisions with regards to labor rights. Fundamental rights and principle of policy.

Article 11 of the Constitution prohibits all forms of slavery, forced labor and child labor;

Article 17

Child Labor in Pakistan is an issue that has been discussed a lot. Google spews out a plethora of articles, stories, reports, pictures, interviews, documentaries, seminars, conferences, forums, criticism and debates on the subject. Yet here in 2012 what we see is that instead of any improvement there are more children and there is more child labor.

Article 17

Provides for a fundamental right to exercise the freedom of association and the right to form unions;

Article 18 Proscribes the rights of its citizens to enter upon any lawful profession or occupation and to conduct and lawful trade or business

Article 37 Provision for securing just and humane conditions of work, ensuring that children and women are not employed in vacations unsuited to their age or sex, and for maternity benefits for women in appointment

Labor Legislation Pakistans labor laws trace their origination to legislation inherited from India at the time of partition of the indo-Pak subcontinent .

Under the constitution labor is regarded as a concurrent subject, which means that it is the responsibility of both the federal and provincial Governments.

Every employer in an industrial or commercial establishment is required to issue a formal appointment letter at the time of employment of each worker.

Termination of the contract the services of a permanent worker cannot be terminated for any reason other than misconduct unless one months notice or wager in lieu there of has been furnished by the employer or by the worker if he or she so chooses to leave his or her service .

All Pakistan trade union congress (APTUC), national labor federation (NLF) and national trade union federation of Pakistan (NTUFP) said besides trade union organization more than 60 political parties had been invited to participate in the seminar .

Thank you