Tag: HBWWF

Karachi, November 25, 2021 (PPI-OT):Women workers should be given equal wages for same work, and the gender-based disparity in wages should be ended, said the speakers of a consultative meeting of women workers held at the Arts Council of Pakistan Karachi on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

The meeting was hosted by the Home-based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) which also demanded end to harassment of women at workplaces. They demanded that at every workplace, anti-harassment committees should be established so that gender-based violence against women workers can be done away with. Representatives of women belonging to every walk of life attended the meeting.

The speakers said that this day is observed in the memory of the three great revolutionary sisters who are remembered in the history as Mirabal Sisters. These three real sisters emerged as the symbol of democratic independence, change and self-reliance. They continued to raise voice against the oppression of dictatorship till their last breath. As the result of their struggle and sacrifice, people of Dominican Republic got freedom from dictatorship.

In 1999 the general assembly of the United Nations announced to celebrate the day of November 25 as the international day for the elimination of violence against women. The speakers said that this day has lost its political importance and it is being observed just symbolically. Sadly, many people do not know about the importance of the day, and they not know that this is the day to remember the struggle for restoration of democratic values and human rights.

The speakers said that though on this day speeches are made about the atrocities meted out to women, but the problems faced by the working women and gender-based discrimination against them are seldom discussed. They said that in Pakistan for a long time the number of women workers in informal sector is on the rise; however, due to Covid these women workers are also the mostly affected.

Sharing their experience, women workers said during work they face different types of violence and discrimination, which cast negative affects on their social and economic life. Even today there is disparity between the wages of male and female workers, as the wages of female workers are less than male workers. This difference is about 40 to 50 percent. A lot of women workers work under contract system where they are not registered under social security institutions.

They do not get pension. The incidents of violence against women workers are not even reported. They said that discrimination and violence against women is the violation of law and constitution. They said the government of Pakistan in 2010 passed a Bill against harassment at workplace, and under this law the affected women could file their complaints with the provincial and federal ombudsmen, but due to prevailing social attitudes and injustice these cases are just lingered on.

The speakers of the consultative meeting said that even today the women workers face indecent treatment at their workplaces but there is no remedy available to them. No actions are taken at the governmental or factory level. The wages are female workers are lower than their male counterparts. Most of the female workers are compelled to work under contract system.

The work is rapidly shifting to informal sector, in which female workers are deprived of their legal rights. The contractors give wages as per their sweet will. The workers are threatened of being sacked if they demand raise in wages. In many sectors, especially home-based and domestic workers despite working day and night could not manage two square meals for their families. They are not given the minimum wages and growing price hike has hit them hard.

The speakers said that the food inflation is rising in Pakistan and almost 60 percent population lives beneath the poverty line. After every fifteen days fares of transport are raised due to which prices of all commodities are rising sharply. The consultative meeting observed that the rights of working women are in fact human rights and without understanding them a gender equality could not be brought to society. The prevailing economic crisis and negative social attitudes are worsening conditions for working women, while the women working in informal sector are compelled to work on very low wages.

To avoid this situation the only way is that the working women raise voice for their rights and struggle after properly organizing themselves and joining trade union in a large number. The consultative meeting suggested and demanded to end all discriminatory laws against women. Harassment of women at workplace should be stopped and committees in this regard should be formed at all workplaces. The government of Pakistan should ratify the ILO Convention 190 and make proper laws in its light. The anti-harassment laws at workplace should be made a part of labour laws and women workers should be given proper protection.

The meeting further demanded that women workers should be pay wages as equal to male workers for the same work. Baby care centers should be established in factories and workplaces. Women workers should be given paid leaves for pregnancy. The law for home based workers should be implemented immediately. In media and curriculum anti-women content should be checked.

Those spoke included Zahra Khan of HBWWF, Saira Feroze of United HB Garment Workers Union, Nasir Mansoor of National Trade Union Federation, Dr Shershah of Pakistan Medical Association, Shaher Bano of Journalists Union, Nuzhat Sheerin of Sindh Commission for Status of Women, Mehnaz Rehman of Aurat Foundation, Karamat Ali of National Labour Council, Saeed Baloch of Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum, political activist Akram Kaimkhani, Seemi Sahir of Garment and Textile women workers, Saeeda Khatoon of Baldia fire affectees association, Nasir Parveen of Lady health workers and others.

For more information, contact:
Home Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF)
726, Mashrique Centre, Block 14, Gulshan-e-Iqbal,
Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-37075324
Website: https://hbwwf.org/

Karachi, October 20, 2021 (PPI-OT):A huge rally of home-based workers here on Wednesday was staged on the occasion of international home-based workers day and it demanded of the government of Sindh to immediately start the process of registration of home-based workers.

As per details, a huge rally was staged by the Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) that marched from Fawara Chowk to Karachi Press Club (KPC). A large number of home-based workers belonging to different sectors participated in the rally, led by HBWWF general secretary Zehra Khan and raised slogans for their demands.

Addressing the rally, Zehra Khan said the home-based workers of Sindh through their untiring struggle have successfully got their legal status and identity recognized, which is a historic event not only in Pakistan but also in the region. She said that sadly despite the passage of this law, its implementation is negligible. She said that though in Sindh there is a law about home-based workers, but practically the home-based workers of the province are not getting their due rights.

She said till today the HBWWF has got filled the registration forms of more 3000 home-based workers but the Sindh Labour Department has not completed the process of registering these workers. She said the registration process is being lengthened, unnecessarily. She said despite passage of one year the forms of these home-based workers could not be verified and recorded. She said if these delaying tactics were not stopped the workers would besiege the Sindh assembly.

Khan said that the back-breaking price hike coupled with Covid situation has made the life of common man miserable and the families of home-based workers are also badly affected. She said home-based women workers could not make their both ends met despite working for long hours. They are deprived of minimum wages. She said in 2019 the Sindh government set a good example for issuing an official notification to include glass bangles industry in the list of industries covered under the Sindh Minimum Wage Board. She said; however, this notification could not be implemented as yet and today these workers are given wages of less than two US dollars per day. She said we strongly demand of the government of Sindh to accelerate the process of registration of home-based workers and fixing their wages.

Addressing on the occasion, Saira Feroze, general secretary United Home-based Garments Workers Union said that the government of Sindh has given identity to hundreds of thousands unknown home-based workers, but the real success would be when that this law is being practically implemented. She said increase in the wages of home-based workers is non or negligible, while due to the Covid their real wages have already dropped. She regretted that the price hike in increasing with every passing day, but the wages of workers are not being increased. She said resultantly, poverty, hunger and diseases are on a sharp rise. She said prices of food items, medicines, gas and electricity are being hiked continuously.

National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) General Secretary Nasir Mansoor said that more than 16million home-based workers of Pakistan are being more burdened with harsh conditions attacked to the loans of International Monetary Fund (IMF). He said for a loan of $6billion whole country and its 25 Crore population are pawned to the IMF. He said it is bitter fact that Pakistan no longer is an independent nation but a slave of the IMF.

He said that the government and opposition both have no solution to this problem. He said the nation and country has to fight another war of independence to get rid of the slavery of these international lenders, adding the working class would play an important role in this war. He appealed to the progressive, pro-people democratic parties and labour organizations to guide the nation how to steer the country clear of this crisis. He said they should also announce a joint struggle against poverty, hunger, price hike and joblessness.

At the end of the rally, the participants demanded of the government of Sindh to speed up the process of registration of home-based workers and issue workers’ cards to them. They asked that the home-based workers should be registered with the social security departments and in this regard proper legislations should be carried out. They said that like the glass bangle industry, the Sindh Minimum Wage Board should also determine the minimum wages of the home-based workers of other sectors. They asked the workers of glass bangle industry should be given wages as per the notification of 2019.

They asked that the workers of supply chain should be given a legal identity and allowed to form their labour unions. They demanded that the government of Sindh should earmark an annual budget for welfare of the home-based workers.

The rally participants demanded to increases the wages in proportion with the price hike. The anti-people policies dictated by the IMF should be shunned. Fifty percent cut should be announced in non-development expenditures. Import of luxury good should be banned. The rates of edibles, medicines, electricity and gas should be reduced.

Those spoke on the occasion included Karamat Ali of National Labour Council, Aniy Muhammad Yunus and Sajida Kausar of HBWWF, Jamila Abdul Latif of Home-based Women Bangle Workers Union, Ruqia Muhammad Hanif of United HB Workers Union, Maimona, Zahida, Nadra and others.

For more information, contact:
Home Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF)
726, Mashrique Centre, Block 14, Gulshan-e-Iqbal,
Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-37075324
Website: https://hbwwf.org/

Karachi, October 07, 2021 (PPI-OT):Labour leaders have said that the scams like Pandora Papers are an undeniable proof of the loot and plunder of the ruling classes in Pakistan. According to details, National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) and Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) jointly organized a Workers Red Flag March that marched from the Regal Chowk to the Karachi Press Club (KPC) to condemn growing price hike, joblessness, poverty and hunger. A large number of workers displaying red flags took part in the rally.

Addressing the rally, speakers said that the ruling elite are transferring the looted money from Pakistan to their safe tax heavens abroad, while the millions of workers of this country are deprived of the basic facilities of life, despite the fact that they work tirelessly. The rulers to get their vested interests have mortgaged Pakistan to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other imperialistic lending institutions. An artificial political system created as a result of this economic slavery has now facing a downfall. The workers have pledged to fight this system based on injustice.

They said that due to imprudent economic, social and foreign policies of the rulers, the country has been pushed to the verge of collapse. The ruling classes, who represent the vested interests of international capital are pitched against the masses. The entire economic system of Pakistan is in the grip of the agents and employees of international lending institutions like the IMF. As a result, price hike, joblessness, hunger and poverty are at their peak. The rates of daily use kitchen items like wheat flour, sugar, cooking oil, rice and pulses have increased by one hundred percent. Medicines are made costlier by 300 to 400 percent and gas and electricity by 100 to 200 percent. This sharp price hike has broken the back of workers.

They said that the rulers shamelessly accuse the masses of not paying taxes, but the fact is that the masses pay taxes of Rs610 billion a year just on petroleum products, while the government collects more than Rs4000 billion taxes every year from other heads also. General sales tax on daily-use items is 31 percent of the total revenue of the government and this money is robbed from the pockets of common man. Due to anti-people policies of the sitting government today more than 16 million people are jobless.

The number of the people living beneath the poverty line has seen a record increase of more than 2 Crore during the tenure of this government so far. The numbers of poor people visiting free kitchens have increased sharply. The numbers of beggars and homeless people in the urban areas of Pakistan is increasing sharply. Under the dictation of international lending institutions like IMFs, the government is systemically paralysing and privatising important entities of public sector and millions of people would become jobless due to this privatization.

They said that due to anti-people policies of this government, the Pakistani rupee has been devalued by about 17 percent, which means that the real wages of workers are cut by a half. The inflation rate in Pakistan is more than 11percent which is almost double than other countries of the region, while per capita income in Pakistan is almost half than other countries of the region. The local and foreign loans have increased with a sharp pace. In 2018 the foreign loans were 93 billion dollars which are now increased to 122 billion dollars. The local loans in 2018 were 25 trillion rupees which have now increased to 40 trillion rupees.

The speakers said that in the backdrop of ongoing worst economic crisis in Pakistan, the capitalists and their organizations have filed a case in court against Rs25000 per month minimum wages as announced by the government. These lawbreaker and apathetic capitalists are those people who do not pay taxes and also do not get registered their workers with social security card pension institutions. They do not recognize the minimum wages as the right of workers. They have kept 99 percent of workers deprived of the constitutional right of making unions. They have introduced illegal contract labour system in their organizations. Today factories and workplaces have become slavery houses for workers where they toil in inhuman and unsafe working conditions.

They said that to make workers afraid these capitalists employee retired officers of security agencies in their factories on heavy wages. In industrial zones there is virtually a martial law situation. Institutions like labour department, labour courts and NIRC have become front men of the capitalists and they work against the right of labours. The violations of human rights, labour laws and constitutional basic rights in factories and workplaces is the order of the day. All this is happening in the backdrop when Pakistan from 2014 has promised to safeguard the rights of workers against the facilities under GSP Plus. However, the labour rights as enshrined in the GSP Plus are being openly violated and as a result heavy duty could be slapped over garments and other products being exported to the European countries, which would cast very negative effects on the national industry, especially textile and garments sectors.

They said that due to the wrong policies of the sitting government, the resultant economic and political crisis has compelled different sections of society to take to the streets. There is ban and curbs on political and social workers, journalists and media organizations that expose the horrible economic, political and social crises looming large over the country. The sitting rulers in order to hide facts, to block access to information and to gag the freedom of Press and speech have hatched a conspiracy to slap a so-called Pakistan Media Development Authority that is being opposed by the journalists and media workers across the whole Pakistan.

They announced that get rid of this crisis the only way is to organize a nationwide organization of workers for which efforts have already begun.

At the end of the rally through resolutions it was demanded that:

1. Implementation of Rs25000 minimum wages should be ensured.

2. Eight-hour working day, one paid weekly holiday and double rate overtime should be made mandatory.

3. The modern slavery system of illegal contact labour should be immediately ended for good.

4. Every worker should be registered with social security and pension institutions.

5. Harassment of women and discrimination towards them at workplaces should be ended.

6. Workplaces should not be made butcher houses for workers and workplace safety should be ensured at all costs.

7. Rates of wheat flour, cooking oil, pulses, sugar, rice, milk, electricity, gas, petroleum products, medicines, education, health, public transport and other basic needs of life should be lowered and their access to public should be ensured.

8. Privatization of public owned institutions like Pakistan Steel Mills and WAPDA should be immediately stopped.

9. Workers and journalists sacked from government, semi-government and autonomous bodies should be restored.

10. The black law of Pakistan Media Development Authority should not be implemented.

Those spoke included Nasir Mansoor of National Trade Union Federation), Zehra Khan of Home Based Women Workers Federation, Karamat Ali of National Labour Council, Asad Iqbal Butt of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Riaz Abbasi of National Trade Union Federation, Gul Rehman of Workers Right Movement, Faheem Siddiqui of Karachi Union of Journalists, Saira Feroze of United HB Workers Union, Jamila A. Latif of Home Based Women Bangle Workers Union, Qazi Khidr of HRCP, Aqib Hussain of J and P Coats, Babar Khan of Rauf Textile Workers Union, Saeeda Khatoon of Ali Enterprise Factory Fire Affecttees Association, Sajjad Zahir of Anjuman Taraqqi Pasand Musannafeen, Khaliq Zadgan of Lyari Awami Mahaz, Progressive Intellectual Dr. Asghar Darshti, Owais Jatoi of General Textile Workers Union, Mir Zulfiqar of Workers Education and Research Organization, Rabia and Nadra leaders of the Home-Based Women Workers Federation, Wahid Baloch, a progressive intellectual, comrade sultan of JKNP, Saeed Baloch of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Manzoor Razi of Pakistan Railway union and others.

For more information, contact:
Home Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF)
726, Mashrique Centre, Block 14, Gulshan-e-Iqbal,
Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-37075324
Website: https://hbwwf.org/

Karachi, September 11, 2021 (PPI-OT):The fire in Ali Enterprises factory in Baldia Town Karachi is the worst industrial mishap in the history of Pakistan in which 260 workers had lost their lives. Today on the anniversary of this sad incident the bereaved families and the workers organizations are concerned that despite the passage of nine long years, the real culprits of this incident are still scot-free, said leaders of workers organizations, speaking at a memorial gathering, jointly organized by National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), Ali Enterprises Factory Fire Affectees Association and Home-based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF), here Saturday, led by Saeeda Khatoon.

They said that as there had been no proper safety arrangements at the Ali Enterprises, 260 innocent workers burned alive and more than 100 others got injured. To give this incident the colour of terrorism, some vested interests tried to hide the widespread lawlessness and anti-workers atmosphere in our factories and workplaces but these matters could not be swept under carpet. They said the incidents like Baldia and Mehran Town factory fires and mishaps in Lakhra and Balochistan coalmines show that the murder of workers in industrial mishaps could only be stopped when the negligent factory owners, officers of labour and building control authority and fire brigade and social security departments are taken to the task. They said that the incident of the Baldia factory fire would continue to remind the law enforcing officials and elected representatives of political parties to dole out justice to the bereaved families.

The speakers said that it was sad that the owners of the Baldia factory were termed innocent and moreover the German courts also failed to make accountable the German brand. They said today it could be said that the ILO conventions, GSP-plus agreement with European Union, accords with international brands and other voluntarily agreements have failed to give protection to the workers. They said that it has become necessary that such international laws should be enacted that make bound the international companies, brands and governments to ensure safety at workplaces.

They said in this regard recent law making in Germany and an international accord are the good omens. They said that in this 21st century the Pakistani workers are still demanding the rights that were given to the workers in the 19th century by the imperialists’ rulers under their colonial system. During last 70 years the number of labour unions in Pakistan has decreased from 30percent to just one percent. The labour inspection department has been put on the back burner. Less than 5percent factories pay their workers the minimum wages as announced by the government. The same situation is seen in the areas of pension and social security.

They reminded that the government of Sindh had announced to observe the day of September 11, as the health and safety day, but since last two years this day is simply not being observed. The same government in 2017 had passed a Sindh workers safety and health Act, but it is yet to be implemented. They said that the heirs of the martyrs of Baldia factory for are still running from the pillar to post to get justice. Despite the clear instructions of the Sindh High Court, the EOBI has stopped the pension of the parents of the heirs without any prior information and due to this, these ages people are facing many hardships. At least 13 of them have already died due financial and medical problems.

They added that it is heartening that the labour organizations of Pakistan in their countrywide meeting have decided to wage a struggle from a joint platform for safeguarding the rights of workers and today they are present in this gathering to express solidarity. They said as a result of the struggle of the international workers movement, they have agreed upon an international accord in which the Brands and Companies are made bound to give workers their rights including the right of making labour unions, and ensure safety and health standards at workplaces.

They further said that it is heartening that under this accord a proper monitoring system is made its part to check the violations and it would benefit the affected workers. They said that we will try that this accord is also implemented in Pakistan in its letter and spirit.

On the occasion of the ninth anniversary of the Baldia factory fire incident, they speakers demanded that:

1. A high-level judicial commission should be established to start a probe afresh into the Baldia factory fire incident so that the responsibility could be fixed and solid steps be taken to stop the blatant violation of laws in industrial sector.

2. The stopped EOBI pension to the parents of the martyred workers of Baldia factory fire should be restored.

3. The stopped Sessi pension the widows, who have remarried, should be restored.

4. A compensation of Rs2.5million each should be immediately paid to the heirs of Mehran Town factory fire, besides giving them pension.

5. Strict implementation of Sindh workers safety and health Act should be ensured and such laws should also be passed in the other provinces.

6. Factory inspection system should be revamped and annual inspection of every factory should be ensured.

7. A monument should be erected in the memory of the martyrs of Baldia factory fire.

8. The government of Sindh should provide the promised jobs and residential plots to the heirs of the martyred workers.

9. A Pakistan Accord on the pattern of Bangladesh Accord should be inked to improve working conditions and working hours in Pakistani factories.

10. The system of labour inspection should be modernized so that strict steps could be taken to ensure safety of workers in factories and workplaces.

11. We demand from the elected representatives of Pakistan to raise voice against sacking of 16000 government employees due to a court decision and come with a joint strategy in Parliament so that the sacked employees could be restored and their families saved from an economic murder.

Those spoke included Nasir Mansoor general secretary NTUF, Rafiq Baloch president NTUF, Zehra Khan general secretary HBWWF, Karamat Ali convenor National Labour Council, Habibuddin Junaidi president Peoples Labour Bureau, Comrade Gul Rehman of Workers Rights Movement, Saira Bano general secretary United Home-based Women Garment Workers Union, Aqib Hussain president Youth Committee, Khan Zaman of Balochistan Labour Federation, Qazi Khizar, Vice Chairperson HRCP, Niaz Khan of Progressive Labour Federation, Mian Qayoon of Labour Qaumi Movement, Taufiq Ahmed, Ali Ashraf Naqvi, former OSH inspector and joint director, Comrade Jannat and other and others.

For more information, contact:
Home Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF)
726, Mashrique Centre, Block 14, Gulshan-e-Iqbal,
Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-37075324
Website: https://hbwwf.org/

Karachi, September 06, 2021 (PPI-OT):A protest demo of workers here Monday regretted that the industrialists and employers are bent to exploit their workers, demanding immediate implementation of the minimum wages an announced by the government.

As per details, a large number of workers staged a protest demo against non-implementation of the minimum wages. The demo jointly arranged by the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) and Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) was led by NTUF leader Riaz Abbasi, Comrade Gul Rehman, Zahra Khan of HBWWF and Saeeda Khatoon of Association of the Affectees of Baldia factory fire. A large number of workers, trade unions leaders and human rights activists attended the demo.

Nasir Mansoor of National Trade union Federation (NTUF) said that 95percent of employers are involved in the crime of not paying the minimum wages to their workers. He said that employers do not pay the minimum wages, irrespective of they are Rs10000 per month or Rs25000 per month. This shows their malafide intentions towards workers, as well as, their disrespect to the law of land. He further said that 95percent of workers are not getting the minimum wages as announced by the government, but sadly the related government departments have become silent spectators.

He added that on one hand the employers exploit their workers and compel them to work on meagre wages from Rs10000 to Rs14000 per month and on the other hand they refuse to improve inhuman working conditions in their factories and industries. They try to maximize their profits and wealth at the cost of toiling of their workers, but they have left no stone unturned in order to make their factories and workplaces virtual death chambers for the workers.

Mansoor said that it has been seen that after the Baldia factory fire tragedy no action was taken against the factory owners and negligent officers of labour department. “Now we see that the persons responsible for the death of workers in Mehran Town factory fire are not arrested or any action taken against them.” He said that the labour organisations think if this country is to be made a truly progressive industrialized country, it would be not possible unless the workers are given their due rights as per law and Constitution and international agreements and standards.

Karamat Ali of National Labour Council said that Pakistan is getting incentives from the European Union under GSP-plus. It assures implementation of ILO labour standards, but practically the open violation of these agreements and conventions has been continuing. Sadly, the countries of the EU are criminally ignoring the open violations of these labour standards, while the ILO in also cooperating these industrialists who are openly defying the local and international labour laws.

Habibuddin Junaidi of People Labour Bureau said that due to anti-people policies of the sitting government more than twenty million more people have gone beneath the poverty line in last two years. About 15 million workers have lost their jobs fully or partially. It was the need of the hour to give more employment opportunities to citizens but sadly due to a court order, more than 16000 government employees were sacked with a stroke of pen. Resultantly, the sacked employees and their families are compelled to commit self-immolations in front of court houses.

Liaquat Sahi of Democratic Workers Union of State bank said that if the present inflation rate is taken into account, at least Rs40000 per month minimum wage should have be given to workers, besides the free of cost social security and old age pension, but sadly our industrialists are not ready to give their workers the minimum wages or get them registered with social security and old age benefits institutions.

The employees of labour and social security departments fully support the industrialists and employers in this illegal act. The crimes of factory owners are not just limited to this but they also compel their workers to work in dangerous working conditions which are totally against the local laws and international health and safety standards. Resultantly, the incidents at the workplaces are increasing sharply.

Zehra Khan of Home Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) said as per a conservative estimate in Pakistan 41 workers out of every 1000 workers face industrial mishaps, which means that every year more than 3,000,000 workers get injured in the industrial incidents. However, there is no proper data about the death of workers in workplace mishaps. In these circumstances it has become necessary to ink an accord like Bangladesh accord to improve the working conditions.

She warned the government and industrialists to stop physical and economic murder of workers. She urged the courts not to provide opportunities to government to sack more employees. Speakers in the protest warned that if the present behaviour of violation of law and Constitution and labour rights as per international standards and agreements is not stopped, the workers would have no choice but to launch a resistance movement.

The participants of the protest demo demanded to implement the minimum wages of Rs25000 per month as announced by the government of Sindh, because during last two years the minimum wages were not raised.

They demanded to arrest the accused of Mehran Town factory fire and give a compensation of Rs2.5 million to every bereaved family, besides lifelong pension and other perks as per law.

They asked to modernize labour inspection process to ensure safety at workplaces.

They demanded from the elected representatives to ensure immediate reinstitution of 16000 sacked employees by chalking out a joint strategy in Parliament.

They asked to ink a “Pakistan Accord” for safety of workers and to stop the growing industrial mishaps in Pakistan and under which all local and international companies and brands should be made bound to implement labour laws and health and safety standards.

Those spoke included Gul Rahman and Riaz Abbadi of NTUF, Khizr Qazi of HRCP, Saeeda Khatoon of Association of the Affectees of Baldia factory fire, Saira Feroz of Untied HBWs Union, Ashghar Dasti intellectual, Aqib Hussain, Owais Jatoi and others.

For more information, contact:
Home Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF)
726, Mashrique Centre, Block 14, Gulshan-e-Iqbal,
Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-37075324
Website: https://hbwwf.org/

Karachi, June 23, 2021 (PPI-OT):A big protest demo here Wednesday in front of the Karachi Press Club (KPC) demanded from Prime Minister Imran Khan to tender apology for his anti-women remarks in which he had blamed the dressing of women for growing incidents of their sexual harassment.

The demo was organized by Home-based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) and led by their general secretary Comrade Zehra Khan. Besides the representatives of trade unions, political, social and human rights organizations, a large number of home-based women workers attended the demo.

Addressing the demo, speakers said that the anti-women remarks of Prime Minister Imran Khan show his reactionary and tribal mindset. They said this is not the first time, when he has given such indecent remarks against women. He has disgraced not only the millions of women but also the high human ideals and values, which are even upheld by the international charter of human rights.

They regretted that when the Prime Minister of country shows such a mean mentality, it would surely embolden the anti-women tendencies in society and provide a rationale for the inhuman treatment being meted out to women.

They said it is a shame that a person sitting in the highest office of the country says that the dress code of women invites men to go for their sexual harassment. They said that it is a pity that all this is being uttered by the Prime Minister of a country where even a four-year girl playing in street, and the dead body of a woman wrapped in the burial cloth are sexually assaulted. They said that a man who became Prime Minister due to hundreds of thousands of votes of women is showing such a sick mentality, which the state has already been promoting for half a century.

They said today in cities, towns and villages of Pakistan hundreds of women are raped every day, but the justice system and law enforcement agencies have failed to stop these atrocities. They said more than a dozen rape cases are reported daily, while the number of unreported cases is many folds high. They said that during last six years out of 22000 reported cases only 77 cases were decided, which is just 0.3 percent of the total reported cases. They said women of this country are not safe at workplaces, roads and streets, markets and homes. The State has completely failed to give them protection.

The speakers said that half of the population of the country has been made a second class citizen in the name of religious and feudal values. They said discrimination to women in every walk of life has become an order of the day. They said that anti-women ideas of Zia dictatorship were given legal cover and today this so-called Prime Minister is defending the sexual harassment of women and blaming women, themselves, for it. By doing this he is proving that he is a true disciple of General Zia.

The protesters announced that that millions of women and aware citizens of Pakistan would never accept the obsolete thinking of the Prime Minister and his like-minded people. They would continue to resist this reactionary mindset and defeat the anti-women tendencies spreading fast in our society.

The protest demo strongly demanded from Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan to tender apology to the nation for his anti-women statement, and resign from his office immediately. They appealed to political parties including Tehreek e Insaf, lawyers, journalists, and organizations of women and human rights to raise a strong voice jointly against extreme anti-women tendencies and undemocratic thinking. They appealed to women legislatures in the Senate, national and provincial assemblies to pass a resolution against the Prime Minister, irrespective of their political affiliation.

Those spoke included Nasir Mansoor of National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), Karamat Ali (PILER), Salma Junejo (Jeay Sindh Mahaz), Saira Feroze (United home based workers union), Saeed Baloch (Pakistan Fisher folk Forum), Abdul Kahliq Zadran (Lyari Awami Mahaz), Comrade Zubuirur Rahman (columnist), Fahim Siddiqui (Karachi Union of Journalists), Qazi Khizar (Human Rights Commission of Pakistan), Kalsoom Baloch (Raji), Comrade Sajjad Zahir (Anjuman-e-Taraqi Pasand Musanafin), Gul Rahman (National Trade Union Federation), Comrade Wahid Baloch (Activist), Aslam Khokar (Pak Mazdoor Kisan Party), Aqib Hussain (Youth Workers Committee), Asghar Dasti (intellectual), Anum and Zainab (Red Workers Front), Zahida Mukhtiayar, Anny Yousuf and Rabia of home based women workers federation and others.

For more information, contact:
Home Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF)
726, Mashrique Centre, Block 14, Gulshan-e-Iqbal,
Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-37075324
Website: https://hbwwf.org/