Exposure visit of government officials from Pakistan to the work on labour inspection in the Philippines

The ILO Islamabad office under its Dutch funded project on Strengthening Labour Inspection System in Pakistan (SLISP) organized an exposure visit of Pakistan’s Government officials to Philippines. The visit emulated helping the government officials grasp learning from the good practices in the Asia region and bring back replicable lessons pertaining to strengthening of Labour Inspection Management Information System (LIMS).

Feature | 20 November 2018
The Philippines is known in the Asia region for its vital labour inspectorate reforms advanced in recent years. With the technical support of the ILO Manila’s US DoL funded Project on “Building the Capacity of the Philippines Labour Inspectorate”, the Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) Philippines is striving to improve its inspection system in ways that support a stronger approach on labour standards enforcement. The system of labour inspection in the Philippines aspires to attain the broad participation of social partners at the workplace, sectoral, regional and national levels.

Inspired by this progress in improving labour administration, the ILO Islamabad office under its Dutch funded project on Strengthening Labour Inspection System in Pakistan (SLISP) organized an exposure visit for Government officials from Pakistan in order to help them grasp some of the good practices in the Asia region and possibly bring back replicable lessons.

The ILO supported the participation of the following officials accompanied by two ILO officials in undertaking a three day study visit to Manila i.e. from 10th to 12th September 2018.
  1. Mr Muhammad Zahir, Assistant Director, Department of Labour, Balochistan
  2. Mr Wajid Ali, Chief Inspector of Factories, Department of Labour, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
  3. Mr Zahid Mahmood, Deputy Secretary Labour, Punjab
  4. Mr Zishan Ahmad Siddiqi, National Project Coordinator, ILO Office, Islamabad
  5. Mr Faisal Iqbal, Project Officer, ILO Office, Islamabad
The exposure visit focused on the following components of the project on “Building the Capacity of the Philippines Labour Inspectorate”.

a. Advancement of regulatory and developmental strategies in labour inspection

b. Development and implementation processes of Labour Laws Compliance System Management Information System (LLCS- MIS)

c. Strategies that enhanced active involvement of both employer and workers’ representative in the inspection process

d. Data analysis and case building of violations of labour laws and conduct of targeted, inter-agency coordinated inspection and/or compliance campaigns

e. Capacity building of the Labour Inspectorates



The participants of the exposure visit were given the opportunity to meet with the highest officials of the Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE), Employers and Workers organizations in Philippines. The delegates also found the opportunity to visit a regional/field office of DOLE where the application of a Management Information System (MIS) was demonstrated to the study group.

The participants of the study visit on completing the meetings with various stakeholders expressed their gratitude to the ILO for helping them avail this crucial learning opportunity. The participants also expressed that the ILO project in Philippines had demonstrated significant achievements in terms of institutionalizing the Labour Laws Compliance System Management Information System (LLCS-MIS) and engaging social partners in escalating the acceptance of a stronger labour inspection.

The following learning points specifically attracted attention of the study participants.

i. Any system that aspires to improve the collection and reporting of data/information meant to be used as a labour inspection [planning/organization] instrument should espouse a gradual development process with the full involvement of the clients of labour inspection.

ii. Since the data/information [of enterprises] meant to serve as a labour inspection instrument is highly sensitive, it requires that utmost confidentiality must be maintained while development and later functioning of the Labour Inspection MIS.

iii. The ToRs for the development of Labour Inspection MIS must factor in the clarity on the ownership of the system that must rest with the government/inspectorates.

The participants of the study visit exhibited great zeal and ambition to re-apply learning of the study visit in order for emulating improved labour inspection system in Pakistan too.

Strengthening Labour Inspection in Pakistan

Since 2014, the Government of Pakistan has embarked upon an ambitious plan to reform the Labour Administration system leading to the following results todate:
  • Provincial Action Plans to upgrade and reform Labour Inspection system developed and endorsed by the Provinces.
  • Constituents have developed better understanding and clearer visions for LI through national and provincial tripartite consultations and workshops.
  • Adoption of the OSH law in Sindh, and advancement of OSH/OSH in Mines legislation through national and provincial tripartite consultations and policy advice;
  • More than 325 Labour Inspectors from the four provinces as well as ICT, GB and AJK trained on “Effective Labour Inspection, Wages and OSH” and curricula developed and well-tested.
  • Enhanced awareness among Government/Labour inspectors, employers and workers on OSH, optimization of OSH data and workplace stress through seminars (in collaboration with EFP).
  • Study (initial phase) on “Private Compliance Initiatives’ in selected sectors conducted.
  • Further improved computerization/digitalization of LI management information through cross-provincial exchange, study-tour and policy advice;
  • LI & OSH profile developed;
  • Annual labour inspection report prepared; (federal and provincial)
  • Knowledge based resources for inspectorates and social partners developed and disseminated


The exposure visit was facilitated under the Dutch funded project on “Strengthening Labour Inspection System for Promoting Labour Standards and ensuring Workplace Compliance in Pakistan (SLISP)