PESHAWAR: President of the National Labor Federation of Pakistan Shams-ur-Rehman Swati has said that millions of workers across Pakistan are still denied their basic constitutional and labor rights, including minimum wage, unionization, social security, EOBI, and access to the Workers Welfare Fund. He expressed these views while addressing a health and safety seminar organized by the Pakistan Mines Workers Federation, where he particularly highlighted the plight of coal miners, who face the highest number of workplace accidents and fatalities each year. “Coal mining accidents are rising annually, yet the government, mine owners, and concerned institutions continue to show criminal negligence. Failing to provide safety equipment and precautions is equivalent to pushing workers toward death,” Swati said. DLP Report
He added that the number of mine inspectors is alarmingly low, and labor inspection mechanisms have been all but dismantled. “Inspections have been practically abolished, leaving workers vulnerable and unprotected,” he said.
Swati also criticized the Workers Welfare Board, stating that when miners seek financial support for their children’s education or daughters’ marriages, they are asked to pay contributions, despite it being the state’s responsibility to register factories and mines.
He further alleged widespread corruption in labor-related institutions, including within trade unions. “There is an urgent need for trade unions to cleanse themselves of corrupt elements, bring honest leadership forward, and take an active role in system reform,” he emphasized.
Swati said that a power alliance of landlords, capitalists, and bureaucrats has left 99 per cent of the population at the mercy of just 1pc controlling national resources. He urged workers to elect sincere, service-oriented representatives to lead the labor movement and bring about real change through democratic means.
