Karachi: Following a three-day protest at the Karachi Press Club, labor leaders from the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) and Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) have called for the eradication of the contractual employment system, which they argue strips workers of basic rights and perpetuates poverty.
According to Home-Based Women Workers Federation, the rally marked the end of a significant demonstration against the prevailing contractual system. Speakers, including Nasir Mansoor of NTUF and Zehra Khan of HBWWF, criticized the system for denying workers permanent employment, which affects their ability to receive fair wages, social security benefits, and the right to unionize. They highlighted that this system has entrenched poverty among workers’ families, with the vast majority lacking basic employment documentation and access to legal labor protections.
The speakers detailed the detrimental impact of the contractual system on workers’ lives, likening their conditions to those of slavery due to the lack of regulated working hours and job security. Veteran labor leader Comrade Usman Baloch noted that this system has affected about 95% of workers, leaving them without the necessary tools to challenge their exploitation. The rally called for comprehensive reforms, including the criminalization of the contracting system, the issuance of written employment contracts to all workers, and the enforcement of existing labor laws to ensure fair treatment in the workplace.
Zehra Khan stressed the urgency of dismantling the contracting system, urging for a unified struggle among workers to reclaim their rights and transform the labor landscape in Pakistan.