Provincial assembly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa unanimously passes Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 2015

ISLAMABAD (ILO News): Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 2015 was passed unanimously by the provincial assembly on 6th of April 2015. This follows the ongoing labour law reform in the country which is a result of 18th amendment to the constitution- under which, social subjects including labour was devolved to the provinces. The Government of KP had already promulgated 8 labour laws and this is another milestone. The Department of Labour KP with the support of the ILO is organizing awareness raising seminars and trainings on the existing legislation to engage workers, employers and government officials responsible for the implementation of enacted laws across all districts in KP.
This new Act has 28 articles which provide for the prohibition of the slavery and debt bondage and regulates matters leading to debt bondage of workers. Once assented to by the Governor KP, the Act will be applicable throughout the province of KP.
Some of the salient features of the Act are as follows.

• Bonded labour system shall stand abolished and every bonded labourer shall be free and discharged from any obligation to render any bonded labour.
• No person shall make any advance under, or in pursuance of, the bonded labour system or compel any person to render bonded or forced labour; any custom or tradition, practice or contract and agreement making a person or his family member bound to work or render service as a bonded labourer shall be void and inoperative.
• Liability to repay bonded debt to stand extinguished; no advance shall be extended or taken for extracting or rendering any labour under bonded labour system; Interest Free Advance (Qarza Hasna) is allowed in a prescribed manner and will not exceed three times of the minimum rates of wages; property of bonded labour to be freed from mortgage; and creditor not to accept payment against extinguished debt.
• The authorities to be specified for implementing the provisions of the act; duty of the authorised officers, inspectors, maintenance and production of records, punishment for enforcement of bonded labour, punishment for extracting bonded labour, punishment for omission or failure to restore possession of property to bonded labourer, punishment for obstructing inspector and abetment to be an officer.
• Vigilance committees shall be set up at the district level in a prescribed manner and a 1st class magistrate shall try an offence under this act. Provisions with regard to protection against all sorts of discrimination including on the basis of gender have also been made.

For further information please contact:

Syed Saghir Bukhari
Senior Programme Officer, ILO Country Office for Pakistan
Email
Tel. +92 51 2276456-8