KARACHI: National Labour Council (NLC), a representative body of the workers has expressed serious concern over impending financial losses to the workers especially to the daily-wage earners due to closure of factories, market places or restrictions on gatherings on account of fear of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.

It has demanded the government to constitute a task force to determine the financial losses to the industries and companies and find solutions to ensure workers rights.

Addressing a joint press conference at Karachi Press Club on Tuesday the NLC members including Habibuddin Junaidi, Zulfiqar Shah, Nasir Mansoor, Liaqat Sahi Ms. Farhat Parveen, Ms. Zehra Khan and Hussain Badshah urged the government to constitute a Special Support Fund for workers so that in case of closure of the factory or business, it can guarantee provision of income to the workers as majority of the workers are working in informal sector or under contract system.

They also demanded that work places needed to be properly screened and sterilized to save the lives of workers from contacting the deadly virus.

Some exporting countries have been reportedly asked Pakistani manufacturers to halt their production due to lockdowns in different countries in Europe, the speakers said adding that some other factories have been asked to delay their export shipments as shopping centres and departmental stores in many European countries have been closed.

Pakistan is the main exporter of the textile garments to the European countries. Under the Generalized Scheme of Preference (GSP) Plus scheme Pakistani exporters are enjoying duty-free exports to European markets. The EU has further extended the GSP-Plus facility to Pakistani exporters for the next two years after its third review in January 2020.

The labour leaders underlined the need to have close coordination among all the provinces and federal government departments to face this natural calamity, which has affected every section of the society. The workers work on daily wages will suffer a lot in the wake of closure of industries, the labour leaders stated. They pointed out that work at many factories in different industrial areas in the city has been halted or restricted due to the coronavirus threat.

The workers demanded the government to arrange provision of essential items including food material to the poor and small income people.

They welcomed holding of a video conference by the heads of SAARC member countries on how to tackle the coronavirus threat on Sunday and appreciated the decisions made by all the regional countries. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Zafar Mirza represented Pakistan in the conference and highlighted Pakistan’s approaches and responses to the pandemic. Mirza underscored the need to empower and mandate the SAARC Secretariat to act as a platform for regional efforts to combat the disease.

The Pakistani labour leaders demanded that much delayed Summit of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) should be held as soon as possible in Pakistan as this is the right time to meet and discuss pressing issues of the region. The last summit was held in Kathmandu in 2014 and it was scheduled to be held in Islamabad in 2016, but due to India’s refusal to take part it was postponed.