Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says, ‘Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.’ Further on it notes that ‘everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work and to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity’. It further insists on the development and involvement in trade unions as one of the methods to secure the protection of their interests.
Labor laws and policies in Pakistan are implemented in order to promote these rights, but it’s not so easy to implement in reality. For instance, so many labor laws are introduced that prescribe conditions of labor and safeguard the rights of the workers from receiving reasonable wages, healthful conditions of work, and the right to bargain collectively. These rights, however, are not always practiced due to factors like child labor and informal employment, in addition to lack of effective enforcement on the standards of labor. The example would be labor unions’ strikes and protests for higher wages and working conditions, which leads to constant struggle for workers’ rights in Pakistan, according to Article 23.
Written by: Nabeela Mohiud-din