The Governor of Sindh, Kamran Khan Tessori, encouraged workers to collectively assert their right to a living wage. Speaking at the international tripartite conference titled “Towards Realization of the Living Wage Agenda in Pakistan,” the governor highlighted the persistent divisions among workers based on various identity markers, which hinder their collective struggle for rights and respect.
The Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) jointly organised the two-day conference in collaboration with several partners at a local hotel in Karachi. Representatives from national and international trade unions, labour support organizations, employers, government bodies, and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) discussed the challenges in labour policy design and implementation. They noted that labour protection is weak, the process for determining and paying wages is unjust, grievance mechanisms for workers are ineffective, and stakeholders are reluctant to take responsibility for worker exploitation.
International delegates representing the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights, Label Behind the Labour (LBL), and Global Rights Compliance (GRC) emphasized the need for Pakistan to comply with international human rights obligations, including GSP+ and the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). Failure to do so could result in significant losses to the country’s exports.
Speakers, including Dr. Qaisar Bengali, SZABIST Dean, and Dr. Asma, Anis Haroon, member of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), highlighted the severe challenges to Pakistan’s economy. These challenges stem from climate change, the implications of globalization, and the global technological race. They stressed the need for the government to plan and intervene according to the changing socio-political dynamics.
Trade union representatives, including Nasir Mansoor of the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), Khalid Kehkood of the Labour Education Foundation, and Aslam Meraj of the Labour Qaumi Movement, pointed out that the exploitation of the working class persists due to globalization, which they described as a new form of colonization. The current global economic system allows international corporations to exploit workers in developing countries like Pakistan, with the complicity of the country’s governing elite. For instance, international textile and garment brands earn substantial profits but are unwilling to adopt fair practices that would enable workers to earn a living wage.
The conference delegates committed to making the living wage agenda a part of the broader political discourse. They urged the government to strengthen workers’ grievance mechanisms and recommended that stakeholders—including international brands, local garment manufacturers, relevant government bodies, NHRIs, and trade unions—recognize and share responsibilities for improved labour protection and uphold the living wage agenda.
