KARACHI (ILO News) - The Government of Sindh jointly with stakeholders has developed a consensus for action plan to prevent Baldia Factory Fire like incidents in future. Almost 300 representatives of employers, workers, government officials, international buyers, civil society, academia, and media deliberated in a day long consultation in Karachi and provided key recommendations for the Plan of Action on Safety and Health at Workplace. The workshop was organized by Sindh Labour Department, Employers Federation of Pakistan (EFP), and Pakistan Workers Federation (PWF) and the ILO. A “Statement of Commitment” was also agreed and signed by Sindh Labour Department, EFP and PWF to jointly work and promote health and safety at work. Secretary Labour Arif Elahi announced that the Labour Department will launch the Action Plan by end of January 2013. He said that his Department will not tolerate any slackness in the enforcement of relevant labour laws.
ILO Country Director Mr Francesco d’Ovidio said that ILO will provide all technical facilities to the Sindh Labour Department for development and implementation of Plan of Action to promote safety and health at workplace. He said it was unfortunate that many workers lost their lives in single preventable accidents of factory fire. He passionately appealed to the stakeholders to come together and help prevent such accidents in future. Ms Ingrid Christensen, ILO’s technical expert on occupational safety and health said that factory fires are preventable if right systems, training and response mechanisms are put in place. She made technical suggestions for the workshop participants to deliberate for the improvement of labour inspection system, establishing an occupational safety and health at work place, and strengthening the work injury insurance schemes to help protect workers.
Brother Zahoor Awan, General Secretary, Pakistan Workers Federation, while appreciating the efforts of the Sindh Labour Department and ILO, demanded that workers must be registered and should not be considered as machines or tools. Zaki Ahmed, Acting President of Employers Federation of Pakistan also suggested that employers should be made aware of safety related legislations and implication of non-compliance. Mr Kermat Ali, Executive Director PILER suggested the need to help improve the Labour Inspection Systems in the province.
The workshop participants in three parallel technical sessions, on Occupational Safety and Health, Labour Inspection, and Work Injury Insurance Schemes, benefited from technical presentations of various resources persons. Subsequently, there were extensive and frank discussions on the respective issue and specific recommendations were also developed. The objective of this tripartite consultation was to help promote safety and health at workplace with the technical support of the ILO. The workshop recommended for Government to strengthen Labour inspection, establishing mechanism to ensure Safety and health at workplace, consider extending Social Security coverage to the informal sector, Government should ensure that employer register their work force under the social Security scheme; and harmonize social security schemes.
More than 500 representative of government, employers, workers, civil society, international buyers, academic, and media attended the concluding session. ILO Country Director presented the recommendation of the workshop. The Secretary Labour Sindh, General Secretary Pakistan Workers Federation and Acting President of Employers Federation of Pakistan presented the singed “Statement of Commitment” to the ILO Country Director depicting their will to jointly help promote safety and health at workplace.
For further information please contact:
Mr M.Saifullah Chaudhry
Senior Programme Officer and Media Focal Person
ILO Country Office for Pakistan
Email
Tel.: +92 51 2276456-8
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