Home-based women workers decry exploitation

LAHORE: Home-based women workers staged a demonstration outside the Lahore Press Club here on Wednesday to press for protection against exploitation by middlemen by bringing them under the purview of labour laws.

Scores of workers participated in the demonstration arranged by the Women Workers’ Helpline and raised slogans for the acceptance of their demands.

WWH Secretary General Bushra Khaliq and Home-Based Aurat Workers Union Chairperson Rozina Saif addressed the participants. Ms Khaliq said home-based women workers were the victims of ruthless exploitation.

Ms Saif said home-based women workers provided services like peeling dry fruit, embroidery work on garments, artificial flower making, sewing of shoes and painting of jewelry and toys. They were paid only Rs15 for peeling a kilogram of ‘chalghozas’, Rs50 for sewing two dozen shoes, Rs3 for putting buttons on one dozen shirts and Rs20 for painting and packing 144 toys. She demanded that the government recognise them as workers for bringing them under the purview of labour laws.
Source: Dawn
Date:12/10/2009