Workers and Employers in Karachi Export Processing Zone are protected by labour laws
Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development organized an awareness raising seminar in Karachi to inform workers and employers on their rights and obligations under labour laws applicable in Export Processing Zones (EPZs).
ISLAMABAD (ILO News)– 22 September 2022, the Federal Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OP&HRD) organized an awareness raising seminar in Karachi to inform workers and employers on their rights and obligations under labour laws applicable in Export Processing Zones (EPZs).
The seminar was attended by 100+ participants representing tripartite plus stakeholders including officials from the federal Ministries of OP&HRD and Commerce, Department of Labour and Human Resources, Government of Sindh, Employees Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI), Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA), and workers and employers of more than 10 industrial establishments located in Karachi Export Processing Zone (KEPZ).
Mr Junaid Afzal, representing Ministry of OP&HRD welcomed the participants of the seminar and emphasized the need to raise awareness about labour laws to workers and employers of establishments located in EPZs as now, the labour laws are extended to EPZs after the issuance of notification dated 05.08.2021 by the Federal Ministry of Industries and Production, Islamabad.
Engg. Nasir Hidayat Khan, (Secretary, Export Processing Zones Authority) also apprised the house about the initiatives taken by the EPZA for the welfare and betterment of workers employed in EPZs including emergency medical centers.
Syed Athar Ali Shah (Joint Director, Labour Directorate of Labour and HR Department Sindh), Engg. Awais Ahmed Shaikh (Joint Director, OSH Directorate of Labour and HR Department Sindh), and Syed Ali Muttaqi (Deputy Director, EOBI, Karachi) informed the workers and employers about their rights and obligations under different labour laws applicable in EPZs.
Mr Ali Idrees Giggi, representing employers, and Mr Farhan, representing workers, appreciated the efforts and said that awareness raising is critical for both workers and employers to exercise their rights.
Ms Faiza Shafqat, overseeing reporting under GSP Plus, representing the Ministry of Commerce, emphasized on the importance of compliance to international labour conventions ratified by Pakistan and said that our positive reporting helps in retaining the trade preferential status thus benefitting businesses and workers at the same time.
The seminar was supported by the ILO-IFC Better Work Programme in Pakistan.
The seminar was attended by 100+ participants representing tripartite plus stakeholders including officials from the federal Ministries of OP&HRD and Commerce, Department of Labour and Human Resources, Government of Sindh, Employees Old Age Benefits Institution (EOBI), Export Processing Zones Authority (EPZA), and workers and employers of more than 10 industrial establishments located in Karachi Export Processing Zone (KEPZ).
Mr Junaid Afzal, representing Ministry of OP&HRD welcomed the participants of the seminar and emphasized the need to raise awareness about labour laws to workers and employers of establishments located in EPZs as now, the labour laws are extended to EPZs after the issuance of notification dated 05.08.2021 by the Federal Ministry of Industries and Production, Islamabad.
Engg. Nasir Hidayat Khan, (Secretary, Export Processing Zones Authority) also apprised the house about the initiatives taken by the EPZA for the welfare and betterment of workers employed in EPZs including emergency medical centers.
Syed Athar Ali Shah (Joint Director, Labour Directorate of Labour and HR Department Sindh), Engg. Awais Ahmed Shaikh (Joint Director, OSH Directorate of Labour and HR Department Sindh), and Syed Ali Muttaqi (Deputy Director, EOBI, Karachi) informed the workers and employers about their rights and obligations under different labour laws applicable in EPZs.
Mr Ali Idrees Giggi, representing employers, and Mr Farhan, representing workers, appreciated the efforts and said that awareness raising is critical for both workers and employers to exercise their rights.
Ms Faiza Shafqat, overseeing reporting under GSP Plus, representing the Ministry of Commerce, emphasized on the importance of compliance to international labour conventions ratified by Pakistan and said that our positive reporting helps in retaining the trade preferential status thus benefitting businesses and workers at the same time.
The seminar was supported by the ILO-IFC Better Work Programme in Pakistan.