Islamabad: National Labour Federation Pakistan (NLF) President Shams-ur-Rehman Swati has said that the preparation of the notification following the approval of the Punjab Labour Code is a crucial stage for workers and the trade union movement.
Addressing a meeting of labour union officials, he said ambiguities in the law concerning the definitions of workers and trade unions, as well as the role and powers of the Collective Bargaining Agent (CBA), had raised serious questions about the protection of workers' fundamental rights. Shams-ur-Rehman Swati said various trade unions and labour federations across Punjab had formed the 'Anti-Punjab Labour Code Movement' to launch a joint struggle against provisions of the code that they considered detrimental to workers' interests.
He said the platform had apprised the government of the potential adverse effects of the legislation and developed a unified position aimed at protecting workers' rights, trade union freedom and collective bargaining. The NLF president said the Punjab Labour Code had been passed by the provincial assembly despite reservations expressed by labour organizations.
He added that the National Labour Federation had continued to raise its objections before relevant forums. He said workers' organizations had presented their concerns before the Federal Tripartite Consultation Committee (FTCC), while the Punjab government had also been formally informed in writing about their reservations.
The federation, he added, had further highlighted what it considered shortcomings in the law and their potential impact during meetings with Labour Department officials. Shams-ur-Rehman Swati said the Director General of Labour Punjab had, since the previous week, been inviting representatives of different labour federations individually to brief them on the proposed notification.
He expressed concern that representatives of some organizations associated with the movement against the Punjab Labour Code had participated in government meetings in an individual capacity without prior consultation with the joint platform or agreement on a common course of action.
He stressed the need for labour organizations to maintain coordination and a unified position during the notification process to ensure that workers' rights, trade union freedoms and collective bargaining protections were safeguarded.