Numerous consultations and seminars by different stakeholders for over a decade has yet to yield positive outcomes. Even a policy for home based workers at the national and the provincial level has not been adopted by the government(s).
Although, policies have been prepared but their approval is long awaited. The helpless home-based workers who had been hoping for uplift in their working conditions are watching the whole exercise in futility.
Home based workers comprises 71.4 percent females and 29.6 percent males who are deprived of minimum wage of Rs12,000 as prescribed by the government of Pakistan.It has been estimated in a study that the earnings of female and male workers respectively are Rs 2,116 and Rs 5,550 monthly.
According to the survey carried out by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the homes based workers in rural areas account for 67.2 percent and rest are from the urban areas. As per the labour laws they are not able to have the right to organise and bargain collectively, have equality in treatment as well as access to social security, old age benefits and other workers welfare programmes.
Sources revealed to Daily Times that girls younger than 14 years are working across the country as home based workers on behalf of middle-persons for longer durations than those prescribed by law and at significantly low remunerations and unhealthy conditions. They further revealed that the girls belong to poor, lower and lower middle income groups with little and no education and are unaware of their rights as enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan.
Home based workers inhaled a diminutive sigh of relief when Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) government under the leadership of former president of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari launched in July 2008 the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) initially disbursing among the needy families a sum of Rs 1,000 each per month. The incumbent regime, admiring the efforts of the predecessor regime, rose sum to Rs 1,200 in July 2013 and again raised it to Rs 1,500 in July 2014. It is expected that the total disbursements of Rs 1,500 each to deserving families across the nation will reach a sum of Rs 90 billion. However, the sum does not last more than a week.
Experts reveal that although few institutions have been established for catering to the needs of women across the country such as Technical Vocational Education and Training Authorities (TVETAs) but the neglect of politically appointed authorities has only deepened the sorrows of the home based workers and marginalised segments of population.
Experts believe that the government should recognise the home based workers in both formal and informal sectors especially industries and offer them free but mandatory registration through a tiered system at the union councils, tehsil, district, provincial and federal levels which would entitle them for social protection, pension and other workers welfare facilities.
The government has ratified 34 conventions of the ILO including fundamental conventions relating to the safeguarding the rights of child, elimination of discrimination against women, freedom of association and protection of the right to organise, collective bargaining, forced labour and its abolition, equal remuneration, discrimination in employment and occupation, minimum wage and on worst forms of child labour which is in conformation with the constitution that upholds equality and non-discrimination, elimination of exploitation, empowerment of women, social and economic well-being of the people and freedom of association.
Home based workers include those working within the home boundaries for monetary returns excluding those working at the premises of employers and contractors, self employed, piece rate which results in a product or service such as embroidery, carpet, handlooms, wood work, handicrafts, bangles, dates cleaning or packing, prawn peeling and packing etc.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/islamabad/17-May-2015/helpless-hapless-home-based-workers
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