Giants Of Labour Movement Unite Against Unfair Privatisation

News Desk

Islamabad: Pakistan taxes people and not corporations so there is a need to build a resilient economy with resilient public services, said Public Services International (PSI) Asia-Pacific Regional Secretary Kate Lapin.

Social dialogue has to be a fundamental premise for any decisions regarding the future of the country’s privatisation and public services, Kate added.

Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Pakistan (FES Pakistan), in collaboration with Public Service International (PSI), successfully organised a ‘Public Hearing on Privatisation and Public Debt in Pakistan’ on September 15 to address the pressing issues related to privatisation policies and public debt and their impact on workers’ rights and public welfare in the country.

A report on the ‘Impact of Foreign Debt on Labour Rights in Pakistan’ was also launched. Author Zulfiqar Shah informed that there is no positive use of debt for the people of Pakistan as the country’s debt is 124 billion dollars but social indicators are not improving.

Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC) Chairperson Iqbal Detho shared recent human rights policy developments, including the cognisance powers of the SHRC for taking legal action against human rights abuses in both public and private establishments, as well as the inclusion of labour laws in legal aid services.

Iqbal affirmed his commitment to working as a bridge between civil society and the government to address human rights violations.

Senior Economist Dr Aliya Hashmi stressed the need to strike a balance between public-centric and private-centric norms and called for united efforts to protect workers’ rights.

Former Federal Minister Naveed Qamar stated that the dialogue on privatisation must be initiated on a regular basis. Pakistan’s financial situation has dropped so low that policymakers have no real solutions; only desperate solutions are being put first. In this desperation, we will fall even lower, he further said.

Although it is being said that these conditions are being imposed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in desperation there is no bargaining power left in the government, Qamar added.

Government of Pakistan Privatisation Commission Member Shahbaz Jameel assured the senior leadership of labour leaders that the Privatisation Commission will look into the concerns raised during the public hearing.

This year is an election year and all parties are preparing their manifestos. To be a part of this, it is absolutely necessary that the labour movement not keep itself out of it. The only way to safeguard the rights of workers is to have a dialogue between policymakers and the labour leaders.

The shared experiences and recommendations from this public hearing will be documented and presented to the new government in Islamabad, international financial institutions, and the United Nations’ committee on foreign debt as part of the collective effort to find solutions to the challenges posed by privatisation in the region.