Poor Implementation: Bonded Labour Laws Failed To Protect Labourers

News Desk

Islamabad: Existing laws regarding bonded labour, including the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1992 and subsequent provincial legislation, fail to protect laborers due to weak implementation.

According to a research study, there is general disinterest on the part of state functionaries, who are often influenced by traditional feudal power structures that seek to maintain bonded labour.

A research study titled ‘The Issue of Bonded Labour in Pakistan: Brick Kiln Workers in Punjab and Tenant Farmers in Sindh’, was launched by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) on Wednesday.

The study says that the primary hope for change lies in the implementation of judicial rulings and the passing of new legislation, particularly with regards to agricultural tenancy rights and brick kilns.

It shows that the lack of implementation of the Sindh Tenancy Act and feudal involvement provide cover for practices of debt bondage. It says that although the judiciary has established binding precedents for the abolition of rural debt bondage, the implementation of court judgments remains limited.

NCHR Chairperson Rabiya Javeri Agha said that the laborers lack necessary facilities such as safety equipment, medical coverage, clean drinking water and social protection.

“Poverty-stricken and plagued by sharp inflation and exploitative employers, bonded laborers work in unregulated kilns with weak labour inspections, non-functional district vigilance committees (DVCs), and lax implementation of regulations,” Javeri Agha added.

The NCHR has recommended improving access to justice for bonded labour and enhancing the capacity of DVCs to suppress the use of bonded labour in the country.

The report recommends establishing or strengthening unions and other associations of laborers that would help protect labour rights through collective bargaining and representation.

It also suggests revising the brick kiln registration process and developing a robust strategy to expedite the process by providing additional resources to the labour department and implementing incentives and enforcement mechanisms to ensure the registration of all brick kilns.

The study calls for increasing the incomes of laborers in fields where bonded labour is prevalent and prioritizing data collection, record keeping, and CNIC registration through National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) mobile units.

It urges the Election Commission of Pakistan to bring more such segments of society into the electoral net.

The research study further suggests that no family should be allowed to work as a single unit, and children should not be permitted to work in brick kilns.

It also calls for encouraging ethical buying standards through the law, and brick buyers must be pushed to procure bricks from kilns that provide a safe and decent working environment.