Two Day Workshop on Finalizing the Implementation Modalities For
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Two day Workshop on finalizing the Implementation modalities for Home Based workers Policy/Law in Sindh 29-30 June 2016 Hotel Marriot, Karachi Organized By: HomeNet Pakistan 1 List of Acronyms HBWWCA Home base women worker association center HNP HomeNet Pakistan SWD Social welfare department WDD Women development department SESSI Sind employees social security institution PESSI Punjab employees social security institution DOL Department of labor BMST Business Management Skill Training CMST Community Management Skill Training DoL Department of labour WDD Women development department SWD Social welfare department LG Local Government PPP Pakistan People’s Party PMLN Pakistan Muslim League (nawaz) PMLQ Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid e Azam ) PSD Punjab skill development SIRA Sindh Industrial Relation Authority DoL Department of Labour LHRD Labour and Human Resource Department DDoL District Department of Labour PCSW Provincial Commission on the status of women OSH Occupational, Safety and Health NCSW National Commission on the status of women WEP Women Empowerment Package HBW Homebased worker DW Domestic Worker 2 Rationale of the Workshop HomeNet Pakistan is directly involved in the advocacy and lobbying with the parliamentarians and government departments for mainstreaming of the HBWs issues. With the support from UN women and ILO in post devolution scenario the LHRD had been engaged in the HBWs policy process at the provincial level. The finalization of the HBWs policy in Sindh and the processes adopted had been shared with the parliamentarians and relevant stakeholders including the employer’s federations, workers representatives and HBWs organizations time and again and their advice, recommendations sought during the project period, and also as a continuous process of advocacy by HNP. Since 2013 LHRD Sindh have shown commitment on the HBWs issues and had desired to have more consultative session on developing a better understanding on the HBWs issues and giving it a concrete shape by brining in the policy and law and implementation it with full zeal. HomeNet Pakistan with the support of ILO and LHRD Sindh is organizing a two day activity for developing implementation mechanism for the protection of HBWs. Main Objectives of the Two Day Workshop: The main objective was to bring the HBWs legislative draft into practical implementation plan through holding this two day consultative workshop with LHRD officials, Workers and employers representatives to finalize the implementation mechanism for HBWs legislative draft. The purpose of the workshop was to engage relevant stakeholders in tripartite consultative process to finalize implementation plan for HBWs in Sindh. The representatives from Labour and Human Resource, Women Development, Social Welfare, Local government and planning and development departments, Pakistan workers and employers’ federations, representatives from 7 district action committees, home based workers , domestic workers , Agri workers and fishery workers along with relevant key line departments and stakeholders participated in the workshop. Methodology Adopted: The two day workshop was organized in collaboration with ILO and Labour and Human resource Department Sindh. The two day workshop methodology were mix of sessions using different tools like PowerPoint presentations, documentaries, plenary, group work, The workshop was consist of sessions on Informal sector , dialogue on the Importance of the HBWs in Economy , PowerPoint presentation on the present processes , Successes models from Asia , discussion in Plenary on HBWs Draft Bill , Group work and Question/Answer Session. Target Group: 1- Department of Labour 2- Pakistan workers federation 3- Employers federation of Pakistan 3 4- Line departments (Women development, Planning and development, Local government, social welfare, finance department, Special Initiatives department, Provincial Bureau of statistics) 5- Representatives of District Action committees from Hyderabad, Thatta, Sanghar, Sukkur, NawabShah, Dadu and Mithi) 6- HBWs organizations, Federations, Unions representatives, NTUF, Fisher folk forum. 7- CSO (PILER, Aurat Foundation, SPO, TRDP, LEF, SAFCO, WDO,) 8- Representatives of Agri and Fishery Unions. Expected Outcomes: 1. Increased knowledge of 40 stakeholders (LHRD, Workers representatives, Employers) on Informal sector issues specifically HBWs issues. 2. Increased knowledge on initiatives for HBWs and draft legislation. 3. Final draft of the Implementation plan for protection of HBWs in Sindh. 4. Consensus among the tripartite bodies for protecting the HBWs and other workers in the Informal Economy 5. Establishment of the “Directorate of the Informal Economy” within the LHRD. Results: 1. Draft implementation plan for the protection of HBWs at the provincial level. 2. Agreement on the Establishment of “Directorate/Unit of the Informal Economy” within the LHRD. Day 01, Wednesday 29 July, 2016 Inaugural of the Workshop The Two Day on finalizing the Implementation modalities for Home Based workers Policy/Law in Sindh was started by welcome note by representative fromHomeNet Pakistan. The workshop was formally started with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Mr. Abdul Ghaffar Sherani from DAC Hyderabad, there was round of introduction in which the participants introduced with their names, designations and departments. Ume Laila Azhar Executive Director HomeNet Pakistan presented key note address to the participants, she said that the main purpose of the workshop was to engage relevant stakeholders in tripartite consultative process to finalize implementation plan for HBWs in Sindh. We are looking forward towards productive output from all stakeholders; the final implementation plan of HBWs policy would be shared with LHRD Sindh. 4 The workshop proceeded by following the agenda: Session I Title: Importance of the Informal economy and situation in Pakistan Chair: Dr Mustafa Suhag Moderator: Ume Laila Azhar Speakers HNP/HBWs DWs Union Representatives Mr. Waqar Memon from Pakistan Workers Federation Mr. Ayoub Shaan from Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum Concluded by:Mr. Habib ud Din Junedi Convener Sindh Solidarity Committee The session I was about the importance of Informal economy and situation in Pakistan, it was categorized into different informal sectors and speakers were representatives from HomeBased, Domestic, Agri and Fishery Workers shared their issues. i) Home Based Workers: Home Based Worker Leader HomeNet Pakistan from Baldiya Town Karachi highlights the issues and ways of organizing home based workers, She said HBWs are facing issues of low wages, extreme poverty and bad governance issues; they don’t have access towards markets, we are living under hardships but no policy or laws look into this. There are no specific schemes for us, not a single mechanism of ascertaining wages, no complaint mechanism, and no health security has ensured by Government for us” She further added that HomeNet Pakistan supported us and formed our groups through organizing and mobilizing strategy. We the workers have resolved our issues related to bad governance in our areas, still a large number of workers don’t have access towards their basic legal rights and other opportunities, we urge Government of Sindh for speedy approval of policy. ii) Domestic Workers There are approximately 8.5 million domestic workers in Pakistan, most of them women, they also include a large number of boys and girls, domestic workers were a significant portion of the informal 5 economy. These workers remain unregulated, are not covered by labour laws…are also vulnerable to all kinds of exploitation. HomeNet Pakistan in collaboration of The Plan International Pakistan in year 2011, helped domestic workers of Islamabad and Rawalpindi last year to set up first of its kind union in Pakistan. “HomeNet Pakistan worked for over two years with the workers to convince them to form a union/association. Later on, in this year 2015 another component of Domestic Workers was added up to organize Domestic Workers and to push up the advocacy process of policy practice & implementation at provincial level in Punjab and Sindh including Lahore and Karachi, HomeNet Pakistan conducted baseline survey, for this HNP team developed questionnaire around the basic issues of Domestic workers related to their Household, socio-economic status, wages, discrimination they have faced during their work, capacity building for providing them alternative skills, and issues faced on basis of religion. 200 women Domestic Workers responded as per questions asked in database. A DW leader Kalsoon from Itehad Town Karachi said “Each domestic worker employed in the house, whether a child or a good old’ massi ji, that it’s very clear to them that they are less of a human being and that it is ok to treat them differently. We pay them to work of course and give them leftover food but they cannot sit with us or eat in our dishes. I asked my mother this question and she said “beta because they are dirty.” She further added that “Majority of DWs women are not receiving any financial aid from Government announced packages for women empowerment including BISP, Women empowerment schemes announced for the women socio-economic development etc. In many areas of Karachi, hundreds of Technical & Vocational education centers for women artisans are not functional”. The issues are also related to the interfaith harmony, low confidence, harassment, low wages etc.Thus it is a dire need to demand policy formulation for domestic workers in Sindh.