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The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has warned that the proposed Punjab Labour Code 2025 (PLC 2025) risks worsening the state of workers' rights in Pakistan instead of improving them.
The HRCP report, published as part of its Legislation Watch Cell 2025 series, finds the new code inconsistent with International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions and Pakistan's constitutional guarantees on freedom of association, equality, and protection from forced and child labour. According to the HRCP report, the PLC, introduced as Bill No. 85 of 2025 before the Punjab Assembly, was drafted with "insufficient consultation" from workers and trade unions. Activists under the Punjab Labour Alliance argued that the code was shaped by ILO consultants without genuine worker participation, thereby breaching Pakistan's obligations under the Tripartite Consultation Convention. HRCP noted that this "top-down approach" violates the very principle of tripartism that underpins international labour standards. The report highlights that while the PLC aims to unify over two dozen provincial labour laws, many of its provisions dilute worker protections. It grants employers wide discretion in defining "unfair labour practices" and allows new hiring during strikes, which undermines collective bargaining and the right to protest. The expanded definition of "worker," which includes contractors and supervisors, is seen as a tool to weaken trade unions and blur the line between labour and management. The PLC's treatment of child labour, forced labour, and discrimination remains inadequate. While the draft prohibits child labour under 16 and forced labour in theory, loopholes such as permissive "family undertakings" and high limits on peshgi (advance payment) could perpetuate exploitation. Gender and disability equality clauses also lack enforcement mechanisms, leaving Pakistan's global ranking on labour and gender parity among the lowest. HRCP urges a complete redrafting of the PLC with real consultation from trade unions and civil society. The commission calls on Punjab's government to align the law with ILO conventions, reduce employer impunity, and restore workers' rights to organise, bargain, and protest freely. (ANI)
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