افتخار احمد قوانین ِ محنت کے تقابلی مطالعے  (comparative   labour  law) کے ماہر اور سینٹر فار لیبر ریسرچ ، پاکستان کے بانی ہیں۔2006 سے مزدوروں کے حقوق پر کام کرتے…

The landscape of work in Pakistan is changing. For decades, our labour laws have been a "𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤" 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟒𝟎 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 written for a mid-20th-century factory floor. This fragmentation…

Objection 1The draft Labour Codes were prepared without consulting workers’ and employers’ organisations, making them inconsistent with ILO standards.ResponseThe preliminary drafts were prepared after years of work (consolidation efforts had…

Objection 2The draft Labour Codes abolish the right to permanent employment for permanent work, and “legalise” multiple forms of the contract/third-party system, undermining job security.ResponseThe draft Labour Codes in Punjab…

Objection 3The Codes are built on a neo liberal, market-driven philosophy that prioritises investor and employer flexibility over the protective function of labour law.ResponseThe criticism assumes that “𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲” and “𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧”…

Objection 4The Codes weaken freedom of association by fragmenting unions, undermining CBAs, and maintaining or intensifying restrictions on organizing and strikes.ResponseThe current legislation is often used for union-busting rather than…