Home-based workers denied benefits

Source: Dawn

Date: Aug 15, 2010

LAHORE, Aug 15: Home based workers lack identity, which deprive them of benefits of labour laws while the Punjab Labour and Human Resource Department, which is responsible for identifying and compiling data on such workers, has not enough resources to take on the project, Dawn has learnt.

Under the law, the department register workers and trade unions or federations, settle compensation claims and non-payment of wages and others related jobs to workers’ welfare.

“The department has no interest to identify or register home based workers, as it doesn’t recognise them formal workers,” said Hanif Ramay, secretary-general of the Muttahida Labour Federation.

“If the department recognises them formal workers, it will have to ensure benefits like social security, and employees old age benefits liable to be paid by employers under labour laws to home based workers,” he told Dawn.

The article-1 of the International Labour Organization’s (ILOs) Convention-C177-1996, states the term ‘Home Work’ means work carried out by a person, to be referred to as a home worker in his or her home or in other premises of his or her choice other than the workplace of the employer for remuneration.

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