ILO constituents

Government

In 2010, Pakistan went through the process of devolution under the 18th constitutional amendment which saw various social themes devolved to the four provinces. This includes Labour and employment issues that are now managed at the Provincial Level under the overall coordination and oversight of the Federal Government with respect to alignment and adherence with International Labour Standards. The Amendment has implications for labour legislation and implementation of regulations guiding labour systems in the country. Provisions related to labour in the Concurrent List included:

i. Welfare of labour, conditions of labour, provident funds, employer's liability and worker's compensation, health insurance including invalidity pensions, and old age pensions.
ii. Trade unions and industrial and labour disputes.
iii. The setting up and carrying on of labour exchanges, employment information bureaus and training establishments.
iv. Regulation of labour and safety in mines, factories and oil fields.
v. Unemployment insurance.

These provisions are now, all dealt with by the provincial Departments of Labour (DOLs). At the federal level, responsibility for reporting on Pakistan’s progress on the application of international conventions/labour standards to the ILOs Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations is with the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD).

The following are the main contacts for the ILO at the MOPHRD:

- Federal Minister, Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development
- Federal Secretary, Overseas Pakistanis & Human Resource Development;
- Secretary, Department of Labour & Human Resources, Government of Punjab
- Secretary, Department of Labour & Human Resoruces, Government of Sindh;
- Secretary, Department of Labour, Government of Khyber Pukhtunkhwa
- Secretary, Department of Labour and Manpower, Government of Baluchistan
- Secretary, Department of Industries, Commerce and Labour, Government of Gilgit-Baltistan
- Secretary, Department of Labour & Industries, Government of Azad Jammu & Kashmir

Employers

The Employers’ Federation of Pakistan is the most representative body of the employers’ in Pakistan in matters of advocacy and social dialogue in Industrial Relations, Social Compliance and Economic Governance and hence one of the important partners in ILO’s tripartite mechanism.

The EFP is striving to provide business leadership for sustainable socio-economic development with triple bottom line impact. This is the pledge of the employers of Pakistan whether they are in the organized sector or in cottage industries, whether they are small traders or big time importers, and whether they are in domestic manufacturing or in multi-national enterprises.

The EFP is managed by a Board of Directors comprising of twenty elected members from all over Pakistan.

The following are the contact points in Employers’ Federation of Pakistan:
- Mr Ismail Suttar, President
- Mr Zaki Ahmed Khan, Vice President and EFP focal point
- Mr Syed Nazar Ali, Secretary General

Workers

In September 2005, the three eminent workers’ organizations in Pakistan (APFTU, APFOL and PNFTU) merged into one Federation called the Pakistan Workers’ Federation.

Pakistan Workers’ Federation (PWF) represents around 8,000,000/ workers from a cross section of society ranging from workers belonging to the formal as well as the informal sector. PWF is also an affiliate of International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and Brother Ch Yaseen is the General Secretary of PWF.

The following are the top key position holders of the Pakistan Workers’ Federation:
- Chaudhry Yaseen, General Secretary
- Chaudhry Nasim Iqbal, President, PWF
- Mr Abdul Salam Baloch, Chairman
- Mr Zahoor Awan, Chairman, PWF Steering Committee

The following is the representation of Pakistan on ILO’s Governing Body for 2021-24:

- Regular Member: Government of Pakistan
- Deputy Member (Workers): Mr Zahoor Awan
- Substitute Member (Employers): Mr Zaki Ahmed