'More & Better Jobs' Through Socially Responsible Labour Practices

SIALKOT, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Augst,2016) : International Labour Organization (ILO) organized day-long consultation workshop on the exploratory study 'More & Better Jobs through Socially Responsible Labour Practices in Sports Goods Industry of Sialkot-Pakistan', here at Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) in collaboration with Employers Federation of Pakistan (EFP) here.

Ingrid Christensen, Director, ILO Country Office, Pakistan, while addressing on the occasion said that International Labour Organization (ILO) successfully launched the aforementioned exploratory study.

She added that this study would help extend the scope of the project to other vibrant sectors of the industry not only in Sialkot but in other parts of the country as well. Director ILO Pakistan, Ingrid Christensen said that the purpose of this consultation workshop with the tripartite stakeholders was to validate the key findings of the study and draw an action plan for the way forward addressing the identified decent work deficits which could help to boost the competitiveness of the Sialkot sports goods industry.

Yukiko Arai, Senior Specialist, MNEs Engagement Unit, Enterprise Development, International Labour Organization-ILO, (Geneva) briefed Sialkot business community on the Tripartite Deceleration on the principals concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy.

She said that ILO started a multi-phased project, funded by the Government of Japan, in Sialkot's sports goods industry in 2015 for the promotion of good corporate social response practices to create maximum jobs in this industry.

Addressing the participants, President Employers Federation of Pakistan, (EFP) Khawaja Muhammad Nouman said that ILO, EFP and SCCI were striving to generate more jobs in Sialkot sports goods industry through the promotion of socially responsible labour practices among multinational enterprises (MNEs) and suppliers.

Presiding over this workshop, President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Maj (Rtd) Mansur Ahmed said "We need to reach out to the business world showing our capabilities and potential of connecting ourselves with economic,social and moral values maintained and promoted by national and international social standards".

Mansur Ahmed said that Sialkot earns sizeable foreign exchange due to export of its products worldwide. "Sialkot exporters have demonstrated highest degree of social responsibility by achieving self-sufficiency in our infrastructure facilities through our own collective resources".

Yukiko Arai, Senior Specialist, MNEs Engagement Unit, Enterprise Development, Abdul Rasheed Solangi, Provincial Secretary Labour, Government of Sindh), Khawaja Muhammad Nouman (President Employers Federation of Pakistan-EFP, Zahoor Awan General Secretary Pakistan Workers Federation-EFP, Syed Saghir Bukhari Senior Programme Officer ILO Islamabad, and Sialkot based leading exporters also attended the workshop.