Pakistan advances national policy framework for safer, healthier workplaces

ISLAMABAD, Sept 10 (ABC): Pakistan has stepped up work on a new National Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Policy aimed at strengthening the prevention of workplace hazards and extending protection across the country’s formal and informal economies.

The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development convened a National Stakeholders’ Consultation in Islamabad, with technical support from the International Labour Organization (ILO), to review the zero draft of the policy and its proposed implementation framework.

The consultation brought together representatives of the federal and provincial governments, employers and workers, along with occupational health and social protection institutions, industry representatives, OSH professionals, academics and other stakeholders.

The proposed policy seeks to cover workers in both formal and informal employment while recognising the particular circumstances of women, young and older workers, persons with disabilities, migrants, and home-based, domestic, agricultural and platform workers.

ILO Country Director for Pakistan Geir T. Tonstol said the policy was being developed through an evidence-based and consultative process involving the provinces, employers and workers.

“The aim is not simply to produce another policy document, but to develop a framework that Pakistan’s institutions can implement and workplaces can use,” he said.

The initiative comes amid growing international emphasis on occupational safety and health. In 2022, the International Labour Conference recognised a safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental principle and right at work.

ILO Conventions No. 155 and No. 187 provide the main international framework for national OSH policies, preventive measures, institutional arrangements and continuous improvement.

The proposed policy also seeks to address challenges arising from Pakistan’s changing world of work. Traditional workplace hazards are increasingly intersecting with extreme heat and climate change, chemical and biological hazards, technological changes, psychosocial risks and new forms of employment.

The zero draft, therefore, proposes a preventive and forward-looking approach while progressively extending protection to workers who are difficult to reach through conventional workplace safety systems.

Federal Secretary for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry said the country’s economic progress must be accompanied by protection for the people contributing to that progress.

“A stronger national OSH framework can support safer workplaces, productive enterprises and Pakistan’s ambition to be a responsible and competitive participant in the global economy,” he said.

The proposed framework is intended to improve national coordination while respecting Pakistan’s devolved labour governance system. Provinces will retain responsibility for implementation and enforcement within their jurisdictions, while national coordination will support common priorities, information sharing and engagement with international labour standards.

Representatives of the Employers’ Federation of Pakistan and the Pakistan United Workers Federation participated alongside federal and provincial government officials to ensure that the policy reflects both institutional priorities and workplace realities.

The consultation also marked a further step in Pakistan’s consideration of the ILO’s fundamental OSH conventions. The proposed policy is expected to strengthen the country’s legal, policy and institutional environment and support progressive alignment with Conventions No. 155 and No. 187.

Participants focused on governance and social dialogue, OSH data and reporting systems, and workplace prevention and management. Their recommendations will be incorporated into the further refinement of the policy and its implementation framework.

The participants also expressed a collective commitment to promoting occupational safety and health for all and advocating Pakistan’s ratification of the relevant ILO conventions.