PROVINCIAL LABOUR INSPECTORATES READY TO ROLLOUT LABOUR INSPECTION DRIVE
Al-Bab Report
Lahore, Friday, 5th August, 2016: A group of 24 senior labour inspectors from Balochistan, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces resolved to rollout afresh labour inspection drive with a modern approach that combines the elements of enforcement with that of awareness raising information and improved communication for improvement of working conditions at Pakistani work- places. The drive will scale up the outreach, quality and effectiveness of the labour inspection thereby improving the compliance with labour laws. Labour inspectors of all four provincial labour departments vividly expressed this at the certificate distribution ceremony held at the conclusion of weeklong Training of Trainers (TOT) on Labour Inspection held in Lahore.
The training of the inspectors was jointly organized by the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (MOPHRD) and the ILO in cooperation with the four provinces. The training that was imparted by the ILO’s International Training Center, Turin, Italy, aimed at preparing a group of master trainers from within the labour departments, who will replicate the modern labour inspection approaches by further training the entire labour inspection force in their respective provinces. The training particular focused on obligations according to Convention 81; functions characteristics, and ethics of labour inspection; Fundamental principles and rights at work and tools for labour inspection. The training also focused on building the training capability of the participants who will further impart the training in their respective field areas.
The training provided a platform to the labour inspectors to interact and share their experience from respective provinces. The participating labour inspectors appreciated the ILO for organizing this national level event and emphasized that such forums should be conducted in future too. The participants highlighted that the forums like this help in learning from varying experiences in other provinces, cross- fertilise the ideas with colleagues and foster a positive competition amongst the provinces.
Mr Saleem Hussain, Director General Labour Welfare Punjab appreciated the ILO technical support to the federal Ministry of OPHRD and the provincial Labour Departments in order to strengthen the institutional capacities that remain crucial for the improvement of the labour inspection system in Pakistan. The DG appreciated the well-timed support of the ILO and declared this training as a step closer to the destination. He encouraged the participants to take full advantage of this opportunity and equip themselves with all the technical knowledge required to perform their duties more efficiently. He further proposed that the effectiveness of labour inspection system could be improved by making up the human and financial resource deficit, institutionalizing user-friendly labour inspection tools and addressing the data management and training requirements.
Addressing on the occasion, ILO’s Country Director in Pakistan, Ms. Ingrid Christensen congratulated the inspectors on successful completion of this TOT and urged them to take forward their learning to their colleagues. Ms. Christensenemphasized the important role of the labour inspection as a game changer that could ensure better working conditions at the workplaces. Ms. Christensen also recognized, amongst others, the challenge of deficient human resource capacities faced by the provincial labour inspectorates and termed this training program as a significant endeavor towards strengthening the outreach and quality of the labour inspection function in Pakistan. Ms. Christensen also acknowledged the Netherlands Government for their financial support. She also highlighted the benefit of interacting with social partners for the strengthening of the inspectorates.
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