Right to unions

The Balochistan High Court has recently issued an unfortunate decision to declare trade unions illegal in the province. This is a move that is questionable from a legal standpoint when Pakistan’s own constitution guarantees the right to association. Trade unions are the only way for workers to make their voice heard against often exploitative management structures. The decision was taken by the BHC on the matter of a dispute between two trade unions, but the order itself seems to have gone beyond the ambit of the case at hand. In a swipe of the pen, the court has deprived over a million workers in Balochistan the right to unionise. The order was swiftly followed by the Balochistan labour welfare department cancelling the registration of 62 unions. This is very disturbing. Instead of the labour welfare department choosing to legally challenge the verdict, which should be its job, it has chosen to merely obey the court’s orders. The situation is in direct violation of Pakistan’s commitment to a number of ILO conventions as well as the rights of working people.It is unfortunate to see little on-the-ground resistance to the move. There has been condemnation from a number of labour organisation and left-wing political parties, but there should be more. Workers have a right to protect their interests like business associations, which can often access the executive directly. It is even more unfortunate to see this happen in Pakistan’s most impoverished province. By taking this fundamental right away, the government will end up festering more dissent in the province. Labour unions in the country are already weak, which partly explains why coal miners continue to die each day in Balochistan without anyone taking notice. This is not how things should be allowed to continue. Strong unions are essential to addressing questions of wages as well as health and safety at the workplace. There is no one else who will stand up for the rights of workers – other than their own organisations.

from The News International - Editorial https://ift.tt/2yhIVsV