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Free from labour in Punjab
“I wish to wear a school uniform and carry a bag on my shoulder and go to school. I want to make friends and play with them,” says Mochha, a 10-year-old brick kiln worker from Targah Pind, Kasur, a suburban town of Lahore.
Mochha’s friends talk about school being a fun place, but because his father cannot afford to pay his school fee, he works at a kiln along with his family on daily basis. He wakes up early in the morning and goes with his family to collect mud from the fields. He helps his elders mix mud with water and the rest of the day runs their minor errands, like bringing them water and food.
There are thousands of children like Mochha that work on brick kilns. According to Bonded Labour Liberation Front (BLLF) Pakistan, and about 30 per cent workers of these brick kilns are children.”
But there is good news for these under-aged brick kiln workers, for the Punjab government has issued on January 14, 2016, the Punjab Prohibition of Child Labour at Brick Kilns Ordinance 2016, which says brick kiln owners will be kept in prison for six months and will be fined up to Rs500,000 if children are found working on their kilns.
The government has pledged to give Rs1,000 to every school-going child of kiln workers. A restriction has also been imposed on obtaining advance more than six times the salary. If taken, the loan will be mentioned in the contract in the presence of a labour officer.
According to Syed Hasnat Javed, Director Labour department, Punjab, labourers will get advance (peshgi) of six month salaries. More than this means they are being trapped for bonded labour. For example if a labourer prepares 1,000 bricks per day and gets Rs960 he will be able to earn Rs28,800 per month. Hence we can say that a labourer can get Rs172,800 in peshgi or advance. This agreement will be signed by both the owner and labourer, and its copy will be submitted to the labour inspector, he adds.
The ordinance states that if a child over five years old is found at a brick kiln during school timings, he shall, until the contrary is proved, be deemed to have been employed, engaged or permitted to work at the brick kiln.
Committees comprising DCOs, DPOs and ACs in every district are raiding brick kilns and announcing fines and penalties.
“For the past 70 years, the state was sleeping, but the ordinance was suddenly passed when the time for review of GSP-plus status came. “If pushed beyond limit we will go on a countrywide strike.”
Syeda Ghulam Fatima, Secretary BLLF, welcomes the ordinance. She says that the parents of under-aged brick kiln workers will ultimately send them to schools if owners pay the notified Rs962 per 1,000 bricks to workers. “They get around Rs500 per 1,000 bricks presently. When their income is nearly doubled they will not need their children’s support in work,” she says.
Muhammad Shoaib Khan Niazi, President All Pakistan Brick Kiln Owners Association, is concerned about the ordinance. According to him, since the implementation of the ordinance on January 17, 2016, 120 FIRs have been lodged against brick kiln owners and 30 owners have been arrested. “Actually, bureaucracy is under the pressure of CM Punjab Shehbaz Sharif,” he says.
Niazi says as kiln workers live at their workplace children will naturally be spotted there, and the owner will be punished. “The CM should have made boarding schools for children on emergency basis. Incentives of uniforms, free education and Rs1,000 for children of brick kilns are only seen in advertisement but not in reality,” he adds.
Ali Sarfraz, Secretary Labour Punjab, rejects the allegation levelled by Niazi. He says they are not under any pressure, and till Jan 19 had made 368 inspections across Punjab. He claims that over 90 per cent of children at brick kilns in Punjab have been enrolled in schools across the province.
But Niazi disagrees. He says, “For the past 70 years, the state was sleeping, but the ordinance was suddenly passed when the time for review of GSP-plus status came. “If pushed beyond limit we will go on a countrywide strike. We are the main stakeholders but we were not taken on board while preparing the ordinance. The CM is not ready to meet us and listen to our reservations,” he says.
Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Minister of Labour, Punjab agrees that there was pressure from international community to stop child labour but the government was already planning to tackle it. He does not respond when asked about the non-implementation of notified wages and says “we must talk about it some other time.”
Nabeela Ghazanfar, spokesperson for IG Punjab, Mushtaq Sukhera says on his behalf, “Punjab Police will offer full support to the state to implement this ordinance. No bogus FIR has been lodged against any owner of brick kiln. Each FIR was lodged on the recommendations of the concerned district inspection committees.”
Ashraf Masih, a worker at a brick kiln at Kasur, says this ordinance will create problems for all workers. “Children help us prepare clay. Stopping them from work will increase our workload. We will not be able to prepare bricks in time. In case of failure, workers will be tortured by the owners,” he says.
“The owners will never let our children study because they will lose their labour. Our children earn more than what the Punjab government is offering them to attend school,” he adds.
One more objection against the ordinance is that it imposes restrictions on taking loans without offering alternative. Brick kiln workers need loans for medical treatment, marriages, to run kitchen during monsoon etc when they lose work. There were government and NGO plans to give workers alternative skills to earn money during off seasons but not much progress has been made.
Ghulam Fatima of BLLF says that it is sad that only 8,000 brick kiln workers are registered with the Punjab Social Security department for medical facilities, health insurance and other incentives like marriage grant, death grant and others. All others have to seek loans or even sell kidneys to meet emergency expenses.
Dawood Abdullah, Director Headquarter Labour department, says that 24,000 children were identified as out of school in Punjab. Out of them, 21,000 have been enrolled in government schools and institutes of non-formal education. The government will provide these children cash incentives and transport soon to get the desired results, he adds.
Free from labour in Punjab | TNS - The News on Sunday
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLAN TO ASSIST 45,000 BRICK KILN CHILD WORKERS BEING IMPLEMENTED
Islamabad—Executive Director Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) Saturday said Pakistan government in collaboration with International Labour Organization (ILO), was working to strengthen regulatory framework, institutional capacities and quality of the labour inspection system.
Initially this project is financially supported for Punjab by the Government of Netherlands and will extend its endeavour to support the provincial labour departments of all the four provinces including AJK and Gilgit Baltistan, he said.
Karamat Ali said that Pakistan is signatory to 36 ILO conventions including all eight fundamental conventions. Besides analyzing and centrally collating, the collected data on labour inspection would also contribute in addressing institutional challenges, he added. He said that more than 45,000 child workers were labouring in 11,000 brick kilns across the country.
To a query, he said that around 19,000 children working in brick kilns in Punjab have been enrolled in schools adding there are 6,090 total brick kilns in Punjab. Meanwhile, according to labour department compiled data, the Punjab government will spend Rs283 million annually to provide the monthly stipends to children working at brick kilns in Punjab.
He said Rs 47 million will be spent on providing Rs2,000 each to parents of such children. For provision of medical treatment facilities to children and their parents, the government will also bear transport expenses, he said and added a special educational package for children working at brick kilns has also been approved by the government.
A senior official in labour emergency department told APP that Labour and Human Resource Department had set up a help line (080055444) to receive complaints about child labour at brick kilns.—APP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CM Punjab announces education package for kiln children
LAHORE (Web Desk) - The Punjab government on Saturday has approved an education package for the children working at brick kilns.
The approval was given at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif through video link.
The package envisages monthly scholarship for the children besides free of cost provision of stationery, books and uniform.
CM Punjab said the parents will be given Rs2000 for sending their children to schools whereas the children who will go to school during the current academic session will also receive Rs1000 each.
Shahbaz Sharif said eliminating child labor at brick kilns is his mission.
He also said the owners who violate labour laws will not only be sent to jail but their brick kiln will also be sealed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20 KILN OWNERS BOOKED
Sargodha—The police have registered cases against 20 brick kiln owners for violating Child protection Act 2006. Police said on Tuesday that Inspector Child Labor Punjab along with police teams conducted raids at different brick kilns in the district and registered cases against 20 kiln owners including Nasir Mushtaq, Ghulam Abbas, Muhammad Ejaz, Saleh Muhammad, Muhammad Asif and Rana Mushtaq Khan of Chak 140-NB for violating child labourordinance.
The police have also registerd cases against other brick kiln owners including Muhammad Sher of Chak 114 NB, Sikandar Hayat of Sillanwali, Aurang Zeb Chak 125 NB, Ehsan of Chak 128 NB, Malik Imran of Chak 129 and others.
Meanwhile, it is reputed from Khanewal that the district government Khanewal has launched a drive against child labour at brick kilns and sealed two bricks companies. DCO Khanewal Khalid Mehmood, along with District Officer Labour Naveed Qureshi.—APP
20 kiln owners booked
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 kiln owners booked for child labour
Rawalpindi - Police registered cases against the five kiln owners for their alleged involvement in forcing the children to work.
The cases were registered against the owners under the Punjab Protection of Child Labour at Brick Kilns Ordinance 2016 at Gujar Khan and Mandra, informed police spokesman yesterday.
According to him, a team of police station Mandra raided four brick kilns in the area and found children working there during the school hours.
Taking action, police lodged cases against the owners Chaudhry Ikram ul Haq, Ayub Khan, Shakil ur Rehman and Chaudhry Arif.
Similarly, the team of Gujar Khan police carried out a raid on a kiln owned by Arif Iqbal and lodged a case against him.
However, not a single accused was arrested by police till filing of this report, a source disclosed to The Nation.
Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner Tasneem Ali Khan started conducting surprise visits to kilns to stop child labour.
The AC along with his team checked five kilns in Losar and also interviewed the children who pledged to get education in schools instead of working at kilns.
AC Tasneem Ali Khan told The Nation that the district government has started paying surprise visits to the brick kilns to discourage child labour on the instructions of Punjab government.
“As many as 164 kilns are located in the 8 tehsils of division and the government have collected the full detail of these kilns,” he said, adding that no kiln owner would be allowed to force the children for making bricks.
Meanwhile, on the directives of City Police Officer Israr Ahmed Khan Abbasi, the police carried out search operation yesterday in areas of Naseerabad police station.
The raids were conducted in the areas of Misrial Road, Chakra and its suburbs under the National Action Plan (NAP).
Police searched 120 houses and interrogated 150 people and collected their information.
During search operation, some six persons were taken into custody and cases were registered against them under section 55/109 PPC.
Similarly, police booked and held three landlords and owners over violation of Punjab Information of Temporary Residence Act 2015, a police spokesman informed.
5 kiln owners booked for child labour
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BLLF welcomes Punjab govt’s Ordinance 2016 for Child Labour in Brick Kilns
International watchdog Bonded Labour Liberation Front (BLLF) Pakistan on Friday welcomed Punjab government’s Ordinance 2016 for Prohibition of Child Labour in Brick Kilns, and praised its effective implementation.
BLLF Pakistan sought guidance and support of educationists and school teachers for maximum enrolment of children of brick kiln workers and their quality education as well.
In this regard BLLF Pakistan held a consultative meeting with School teachers and educationist from various districts of Punjab on Friday.
The main purpose of the meeting was to involve the academia and teachers to figure out ways to benefit brick kiln workers from Prohibition of Child Labour at Brick Kilns Ordinance 2016.
Speaking to the participants of the meeting Syeda Ghulam Fatima welcomed and appreciated the new child labour policy by the Punjab government to secure the future of the workers’ children. She also urged teachers to play a role to educate brick kiln workers’ children. Quality education is the permanent and sustainable solution to the centuries old bonded labour system, she added further.
In this regard all the participating teachers assured to put in their best efforts in their districts to achieve the objectives of the ordinance and to reduce dropout rate of enrolled children. The participants also discussed new child labour policy 2016 and ensured their cooperation in the enforcement of the law.
BLLF welcomes Punjab govt’s Ordinance 2016 for Child Labour in Brick Kilns | Pakistan Today
“I wish to wear a school uniform and carry a bag on my shoulder and go to school. I want to make friends and play with them,” says Mochha, a 10-year-old brick kiln worker from Targah Pind, Kasur, a suburban town of Lahore.
Mochha’s friends talk about school being a fun place, but because his father cannot afford to pay his school fee, he works at a kiln along with his family on daily basis. He wakes up early in the morning and goes with his family to collect mud from the fields. He helps his elders mix mud with water and the rest of the day runs their minor errands, like bringing them water and food.
There are thousands of children like Mochha that work on brick kilns. According to Bonded Labour Liberation Front (BLLF) Pakistan, and about 30 per cent workers of these brick kilns are children.”
But there is good news for these under-aged brick kiln workers, for the Punjab government has issued on January 14, 2016, the Punjab Prohibition of Child Labour at Brick Kilns Ordinance 2016, which says brick kiln owners will be kept in prison for six months and will be fined up to Rs500,000 if children are found working on their kilns.
The government has pledged to give Rs1,000 to every school-going child of kiln workers. A restriction has also been imposed on obtaining advance more than six times the salary. If taken, the loan will be mentioned in the contract in the presence of a labour officer.
According to Syed Hasnat Javed, Director Labour department, Punjab, labourers will get advance (peshgi) of six month salaries. More than this means they are being trapped for bonded labour. For example if a labourer prepares 1,000 bricks per day and gets Rs960 he will be able to earn Rs28,800 per month. Hence we can say that a labourer can get Rs172,800 in peshgi or advance. This agreement will be signed by both the owner and labourer, and its copy will be submitted to the labour inspector, he adds.
The ordinance states that if a child over five years old is found at a brick kiln during school timings, he shall, until the contrary is proved, be deemed to have been employed, engaged or permitted to work at the brick kiln.
Committees comprising DCOs, DPOs and ACs in every district are raiding brick kilns and announcing fines and penalties.
“For the past 70 years, the state was sleeping, but the ordinance was suddenly passed when the time for review of GSP-plus status came. “If pushed beyond limit we will go on a countrywide strike.”
Syeda Ghulam Fatima, Secretary BLLF, welcomes the ordinance. She says that the parents of under-aged brick kiln workers will ultimately send them to schools if owners pay the notified Rs962 per 1,000 bricks to workers. “They get around Rs500 per 1,000 bricks presently. When their income is nearly doubled they will not need their children’s support in work,” she says.
Muhammad Shoaib Khan Niazi, President All Pakistan Brick Kiln Owners Association, is concerned about the ordinance. According to him, since the implementation of the ordinance on January 17, 2016, 120 FIRs have been lodged against brick kiln owners and 30 owners have been arrested. “Actually, bureaucracy is under the pressure of CM Punjab Shehbaz Sharif,” he says.
Niazi says as kiln workers live at their workplace children will naturally be spotted there, and the owner will be punished. “The CM should have made boarding schools for children on emergency basis. Incentives of uniforms, free education and Rs1,000 for children of brick kilns are only seen in advertisement but not in reality,” he adds.
Ali Sarfraz, Secretary Labour Punjab, rejects the allegation levelled by Niazi. He says they are not under any pressure, and till Jan 19 had made 368 inspections across Punjab. He claims that over 90 per cent of children at brick kilns in Punjab have been enrolled in schools across the province.
But Niazi disagrees. He says, “For the past 70 years, the state was sleeping, but the ordinance was suddenly passed when the time for review of GSP-plus status came. “If pushed beyond limit we will go on a countrywide strike. We are the main stakeholders but we were not taken on board while preparing the ordinance. The CM is not ready to meet us and listen to our reservations,” he says.
Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, Minister of Labour, Punjab agrees that there was pressure from international community to stop child labour but the government was already planning to tackle it. He does not respond when asked about the non-implementation of notified wages and says “we must talk about it some other time.”
Nabeela Ghazanfar, spokesperson for IG Punjab, Mushtaq Sukhera says on his behalf, “Punjab Police will offer full support to the state to implement this ordinance. No bogus FIR has been lodged against any owner of brick kiln. Each FIR was lodged on the recommendations of the concerned district inspection committees.”
Ashraf Masih, a worker at a brick kiln at Kasur, says this ordinance will create problems for all workers. “Children help us prepare clay. Stopping them from work will increase our workload. We will not be able to prepare bricks in time. In case of failure, workers will be tortured by the owners,” he says.
“The owners will never let our children study because they will lose their labour. Our children earn more than what the Punjab government is offering them to attend school,” he adds.
One more objection against the ordinance is that it imposes restrictions on taking loans without offering alternative. Brick kiln workers need loans for medical treatment, marriages, to run kitchen during monsoon etc when they lose work. There were government and NGO plans to give workers alternative skills to earn money during off seasons but not much progress has been made.
Ghulam Fatima of BLLF says that it is sad that only 8,000 brick kiln workers are registered with the Punjab Social Security department for medical facilities, health insurance and other incentives like marriage grant, death grant and others. All others have to seek loans or even sell kidneys to meet emergency expenses.
Dawood Abdullah, Director Headquarter Labour department, says that 24,000 children were identified as out of school in Punjab. Out of them, 21,000 have been enrolled in government schools and institutes of non-formal education. The government will provide these children cash incentives and transport soon to get the desired results, he adds.
Free from labour in Punjab | TNS - The News on Sunday
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLAN TO ASSIST 45,000 BRICK KILN CHILD WORKERS BEING IMPLEMENTED
Islamabad—Executive Director Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) Saturday said Pakistan government in collaboration with International Labour Organization (ILO), was working to strengthen regulatory framework, institutional capacities and quality of the labour inspection system.
Initially this project is financially supported for Punjab by the Government of Netherlands and will extend its endeavour to support the provincial labour departments of all the four provinces including AJK and Gilgit Baltistan, he said.
Karamat Ali said that Pakistan is signatory to 36 ILO conventions including all eight fundamental conventions. Besides analyzing and centrally collating, the collected data on labour inspection would also contribute in addressing institutional challenges, he added. He said that more than 45,000 child workers were labouring in 11,000 brick kilns across the country.
To a query, he said that around 19,000 children working in brick kilns in Punjab have been enrolled in schools adding there are 6,090 total brick kilns in Punjab. Meanwhile, according to labour department compiled data, the Punjab government will spend Rs283 million annually to provide the monthly stipends to children working at brick kilns in Punjab.
He said Rs 47 million will be spent on providing Rs2,000 each to parents of such children. For provision of medical treatment facilities to children and their parents, the government will also bear transport expenses, he said and added a special educational package for children working at brick kilns has also been approved by the government.
A senior official in labour emergency department told APP that Labour and Human Resource Department had set up a help line (080055444) to receive complaints about child labour at brick kilns.—APP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CM Punjab announces education package for kiln children
LAHORE (Web Desk) - The Punjab government on Saturday has approved an education package for the children working at brick kilns.
The approval was given at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister (CM) Shahbaz Sharif through video link.
The package envisages monthly scholarship for the children besides free of cost provision of stationery, books and uniform.
CM Punjab said the parents will be given Rs2000 for sending their children to schools whereas the children who will go to school during the current academic session will also receive Rs1000 each.
Shahbaz Sharif said eliminating child labor at brick kilns is his mission.
He also said the owners who violate labour laws will not only be sent to jail but their brick kiln will also be sealed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20 KILN OWNERS BOOKED
Sargodha—The police have registered cases against 20 brick kiln owners for violating Child protection Act 2006. Police said on Tuesday that Inspector Child Labor Punjab along with police teams conducted raids at different brick kilns in the district and registered cases against 20 kiln owners including Nasir Mushtaq, Ghulam Abbas, Muhammad Ejaz, Saleh Muhammad, Muhammad Asif and Rana Mushtaq Khan of Chak 140-NB for violating child labourordinance.
The police have also registerd cases against other brick kiln owners including Muhammad Sher of Chak 114 NB, Sikandar Hayat of Sillanwali, Aurang Zeb Chak 125 NB, Ehsan of Chak 128 NB, Malik Imran of Chak 129 and others.
Meanwhile, it is reputed from Khanewal that the district government Khanewal has launched a drive against child labour at brick kilns and sealed two bricks companies. DCO Khanewal Khalid Mehmood, along with District Officer Labour Naveed Qureshi.—APP
20 kiln owners booked
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 kiln owners booked for child labour
Rawalpindi - Police registered cases against the five kiln owners for their alleged involvement in forcing the children to work.
The cases were registered against the owners under the Punjab Protection of Child Labour at Brick Kilns Ordinance 2016 at Gujar Khan and Mandra, informed police spokesman yesterday.
According to him, a team of police station Mandra raided four brick kilns in the area and found children working there during the school hours.
Taking action, police lodged cases against the owners Chaudhry Ikram ul Haq, Ayub Khan, Shakil ur Rehman and Chaudhry Arif.
Similarly, the team of Gujar Khan police carried out a raid on a kiln owned by Arif Iqbal and lodged a case against him.
However, not a single accused was arrested by police till filing of this report, a source disclosed to The Nation.
Meanwhile, Assistant Commissioner Tasneem Ali Khan started conducting surprise visits to kilns to stop child labour.
The AC along with his team checked five kilns in Losar and also interviewed the children who pledged to get education in schools instead of working at kilns.
AC Tasneem Ali Khan told The Nation that the district government has started paying surprise visits to the brick kilns to discourage child labour on the instructions of Punjab government.
“As many as 164 kilns are located in the 8 tehsils of division and the government have collected the full detail of these kilns,” he said, adding that no kiln owner would be allowed to force the children for making bricks.
Meanwhile, on the directives of City Police Officer Israr Ahmed Khan Abbasi, the police carried out search operation yesterday in areas of Naseerabad police station.
The raids were conducted in the areas of Misrial Road, Chakra and its suburbs under the National Action Plan (NAP).
Police searched 120 houses and interrogated 150 people and collected their information.
During search operation, some six persons were taken into custody and cases were registered against them under section 55/109 PPC.
Similarly, police booked and held three landlords and owners over violation of Punjab Information of Temporary Residence Act 2015, a police spokesman informed.
5 kiln owners booked for child labour
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BLLF welcomes Punjab govt’s Ordinance 2016 for Child Labour in Brick Kilns
International watchdog Bonded Labour Liberation Front (BLLF) Pakistan on Friday welcomed Punjab government’s Ordinance 2016 for Prohibition of Child Labour in Brick Kilns, and praised its effective implementation.
BLLF Pakistan sought guidance and support of educationists and school teachers for maximum enrolment of children of brick kiln workers and their quality education as well.
In this regard BLLF Pakistan held a consultative meeting with School teachers and educationist from various districts of Punjab on Friday.
The main purpose of the meeting was to involve the academia and teachers to figure out ways to benefit brick kiln workers from Prohibition of Child Labour at Brick Kilns Ordinance 2016.
Speaking to the participants of the meeting Syeda Ghulam Fatima welcomed and appreciated the new child labour policy by the Punjab government to secure the future of the workers’ children. She also urged teachers to play a role to educate brick kiln workers’ children. Quality education is the permanent and sustainable solution to the centuries old bonded labour system, she added further.
In this regard all the participating teachers assured to put in their best efforts in their districts to achieve the objectives of the ordinance and to reduce dropout rate of enrolled children. The participants also discussed new child labour policy 2016 and ensured their cooperation in the enforcement of the law.
BLLF welcomes Punjab govt’s Ordinance 2016 for Child Labour in Brick Kilns | Pakistan Today
