Campaign to be launched for home based workers’ social protection

ISLAMABAD—Civil society organisations are launching a Campaign to call on government to sign and ratify ILO convention C-177 and provide social protection to home based women workers from May 1.
The campaign focuses on women working in industrial zones, who work on piece rate and remain underpaid, overworked and deprived of social protection and employment benefits. ActionAid, Canadian International Development Agency CIDA, Women Workers Helpline and Labor Education Foundation are launching a two weeks long media advocacy and public awareness campaign to underline the social and economic problems faced by thousands of home based workers working in garment industry, bangle work, sack stitching, shoe stitching, carpet weaving, packing and football stitching.
These women work in adverse working conditions on low wages and face constant exploitation at the hands of the middle agents. Even though some government policies are recognizing HBW (labor policy 2002) but no further action has been taken to translate these polices in Laws. Pakistan has yet to ratify ILO C-177.
ActionAid and its partner organisations have been focusing on organising home based women workers for collective bargaining so that they can claim their rights for just wages and better working conditions. ActionAid is advocating with policy makers for signing and ratifying ILO Convention C-177 and Social Protection Bill to encourage employees and government to take progressive steps in implementing social security schemes and improving the working conditions of home based workers.
Through this campaign, civil society organisations also aim to call for Ministry of Labour to incorporate this issue in the National Employment Policy 2008.
ActionAid in collaboration with other civil society organizations are launching a two-week campaign to bring attention of CSOs, political leaders, government officials and citizens to the problems faced by Home based women workers working in industrial zones.—Agencies