New hope for Pakistans oppressed workers

Nasir Mansoor has been fighting for Pakistani workers for 40 years. He has fought unfair labor practices in many countries, whether seeking help on behalf of the hundreds of people killed in the deadly fire in Karachi in 2012 or protesting minimum wage violations imposed by Pakistani suppliers on a global fashion brand.

Although it has taken a long time to solve the problems in the country's garment industry, labor laws are frequently violated in workplaces. Even the EU's trade policies, such as the Generalized Scheme of Preferences, which have benefited countries such as Pakistan but require them to comply with international agreements on workers' rights, have failed to help curb inequality in the labor market. Rules and business agreements look good on paper, but rarely make it down to the factory level. "Nobody cares," Mansoor said. - It's not the government that makes the promise, not the list, not the suppliers. Workers are victimized.

Germany, Europe's largest trader and clothing manufacturer, now requires some companies to develop risk management systems to prevent, reduce and eliminate human rights violations against workers around the world. The law, signed into law by German Chancellor Olaf Schulz in January 2023, covers issues such as forced labor, unfair labor practices and unpaid wages, giving legal force to the preservation of the past as a voluntary agreement for the first time companies that violate the law will be fined up to 8 million euros ($8.7 million).

The state's enforcement of these laws is either absent or ineffective. While this business model reduces costs, it also makes it difficult for employees to reach justice if they have problems. Given the garment industry's long history of poor working conditions, where victims are mostly female workers, the law says the industry will feel the greatest pressure on ambition for new rights, as in Germany.

Commitments to protect workers who sew clothes in factories around the world are voluntary and unethical. If promises are not fulfilled or kept and information is made public, the main consequence is reputational damage. As governments become increasingly aware that free healthcare options have limited benefits, a global shift is underway to ensure companies legally protect workers at all levels of their chains.

The real example of adherence to the law is one of the examples most relevant to the size of the country's economy. Many Western countries, including France and Norway, have adopted similar laws in recent years. A major EU law requiring all member states to implement similar rules is in the final stages of approval. According to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, there is no federal law protecting workers in other countries from torture other than forced labor. For example, the Exemption Act, a proposed New York State law that, if passed, would require top names in the U.S. and around the world to identify, protect and address the rights of those same individuals in their supply chains, with violators subject to fines.

The law would make the US similar to the law in Germany and France, as it is almost impossible for major fashion brands not to sell their products in New York. When a major disaster occurs, stories of horrific violence or destruction make the news, but members of the day-to-day workforce often receive a low, long-term, regular working wage. Organizations often do not protect their employees even though they are allowed to do so. Ten years ago the European Parliament described the situation of traditional Asian workers as "slave labour". Global fast food retailers such as Zara and Primark. German authorities said they had received 71 complaints or reports of violations since January last year and had conducted 650 investigations of their own, including checking the company's risk management system.

The mere presence of German authority in Pakistan is enough to trigger action. Last year, Mansoor and other union representatives called on fashion brands that source some of their clothing from Pakistan to voice concerns about violence against large-scale employers. Just four months later, he and his colleagues faced many names for the first time in his 40-year career. "This is a great achievement," he said. - Otherwise [type] will not sit with us. Even if workers die in a factory fire, the products are not with us.

Thousands of people work in the ready-to-wear industry and produce products for many major brands around the world. Some of these violations were highlighted in a study conducted by German women's rights nonprofit FEMNET and Berlin-based NGO European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), which sought to understand how companies make payments through the Supply Chain Act. Pakistan fulfills its obligations meticulously. Interviews with more than 350 garment workers sponsored by Mansoor and Interior Ministry secretary Zehra Khan revealed how long the problem has been going on.

According to the Asian Minimum Wage Alliance, the living wage will reach PKR 67,200 (about US$243) per month by 2022. Almost 30 percent of the workforce was paid less than the minimum wage of PKR 25,000 (about US$90) per month. Almost 100 percent do not have an employment contract, while more than three quarters are not registered in the social security system (law) or do not know that they are registered. Er, Khan and many other organizations were surprised to come across a crime involving seven international fashion brands.

A German supplier reacted quickly by asking its suppliers to resolve the issue by signing a 14-point understanding of the scene.  The factory did so by agreeing to respect the minimum wage and offering contract language, job training, and—for the first time—bonuses to workers.

In February, the factory added 400 workers to its safety department (previously about 100) and will continue to hire more workers, Khan said. "This is a big number for us," he said. Four other Pakistani suppliers of German brands are also willing to sign the memorandum, which could affect another 2,000 workers, Khan said. “The law creates space for [organizations] to discuss, propose and engage,” said Miriam Saage-Maass, ECCHR's legal director. This is one step when the problem is overcome. “Good fool,” Mansoor said. But he was careful. We are talking to agencies from six major global fashion brands who have contacted us but have not received a response. He said the action was important, especially since some Pakistani factory owners were on strike. The first design is watered. While the law moves to the next stage - a vote in the European Parliament - before coming into force, critics argue that the current rules are too restrictive and cover too small a number of companies to be effective. The move to order has been described as a momentous move, with supporters like Mansour and Khan waiting with bated breath for the final result, thousands of kilometers away. Khan said European solidarity is important and can make a difference in the lives of Pakistani workers. “People's eyes and ears are on brands,” Mansour said. “And they are responsible for their mistakes.”