Labour representatives issued a strong condemnation of the draft ‘Sindh Labour Code’ in a joint statement, accusing the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Sindh Labour Department of taking unilateral action without prior consultation. They criticized the proposed legislation for attempting to legalize the contract labour system, which they argue would undermine decades of hard-won worker rights and violate core ILO conventions.
Nasir Mansoor, General Secretary of the National Trade Union Federation, emphasized that the code threatens to strip workers of basic protections and formalizes a system of wage slavery, contradicting existing labour laws.
Other leaders, including Naseem Rao of the Pakistan Workers Federation, expressed concerns about the code’s complexity in defining workers, which could leave them vulnerable to exploitation by contractors and subcontractors.
Liaquat Ali Shai of the State Bank of Pakistan CBA Union also scrutinized the draft, criticizing its provisions for exempting factory owners from legal responsibilities and potentially weakening worker safeguards.
Hussain Badshah, General Secretary of the People Labour Bureau, condemned the code’s proposal to legalize advance payments, likening it to modern-day slavery and a violation of international labour standards.
A delegation of labour representatives met with the Sindh Minister of Labour and Human Resources to express their objections, demanding genuine tripartite consultations and the immediate abolition of the contract labour system. They underscored the need for robust enforcement of labour laws to protect workers from discrimination and harassment in the workplace.
