Analysis of the ‘just and favourable’ conditions of work in Pakistan with the international standard

Right to just and favourable conditions of work has been recognised as a fundamental human right. Just and favourable working conditions entail the working conditions which are reasonable and fair. It includes just and favourable wages or remuneration, working hours, payment for the overtime work, annual leaves, rest and leisure, safety and health and maternity leave benefits for the working women. Furthermore, the labour safety and health are considered as the fundamental ingredients of right to just and favourable conditions of work. As the member state of the United Nations (UN) and International Labour Organization (ILO) since 1947, the existing Pakistan labour legislation regarding right to just and favourable conditions of work however is not aligned with the UN Conventions and Covenants, ILO Conventions, and other international treaties when there are identified issues of non-compliance, also inadequacies and unclear interpretation of international laws into the domestic legislation. The primary objective of this study is to examine the fundamental gaps in the existing legal framework for the protection of right to just and favourable conditions of work for labour in Pakistan. This study analyses the international legal framework and existing Pakistan legal framework regarding this right. Thematically, the principal focus of the study is to provide constitutional reforms in terms of “right to just and favourable working conditions” by referring to the international labour laws and principles to strengthen the implementation and enforcement mechanism for the safe and healthy conditions of work to the labour in Pakistan. The socio-legal research methodology is employed where the data is collected by conducting interviews with the workers and experts of the field. The findings of this study indicated that the existing labour laws and policies related to the right to just and favourable conditions of work in Pakistan are weak and inadequate to protect the workers at the workplace. This study recommends a legal framework regarding right to just and favourable conditions of work in line with the international conventions and policy framework. Hence, this study proposed recommendations to improve and enhance the current state of the labour laws and policies to ensure safe and healthy working conditions of the workers in Pakistan.