A gathering of labour representatives from the textile and garments sector was held at the central office of the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) to discuss the deteriorating conditions of workers and formulate a plan for their redressal.
The meeting addressed obstacles to unionisation, the significance of international agreements, and the importance of adhering to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) guidelines, the global framework agreements, and the due diligence requirements.
IndustriALL Global Union Textile & Garments Sector Co-chairperson Zehra Khan presided over the meeting. Sindh Labour Department District East Joint Director Athar Ali Shah also attended the meeting, and assured everyone of the department’s support in the unionisation process.
NTUF General Secretary Nasir Mansoor highlighted that the textile and garments sector is the backbone of the country’s economy, employing millions directly and indirectly, but despite being the highest foreign exchange earning sector, workers face severe exploitation due to the dominance of local and international corporate groups over production processes.
Mansoor compared the sector’s importance to the economy with the lifeblood of the human body, saying that factories producing for local markets and international brands operate like labour camps. Violations related to wages, working hours, social security, unionisation rights, gender justice and workplace safety have reached alarming levels, he added.
SITE Labour Forum leader Riaz Abbasi pointed out that labour laws, international conventions, and agreements between workers and brands are blatantly ignored without accountability. Abbasi emphasised that the suppression of workers’ rights to organise and bargain collectively has further worsened the situation, with only a small fraction of private sector workers receiving official employment contracts.
He said workers participating in union activities are immediately dismissed to set an example, while factory managements create fake unions to obstruct the forming of independent and democratic labour organisations. State institutions often support these anti-worker tactics, he added.
Zehra said that the distinction between the formal and informal sectors has vanished, with the textile and garments industry becoming entirely unregulated. Despite the increasing number of factories and the wealth generated by the labour of over 15 million workers, working conditions and wages continue to deteriorate, with over 90 per cent of workers in the sector living below the poverty line, she added.
She accused international brands and their local suppliers of deliberately ignoring their commitments, and reinforcing the exploitative relationship between global and local capital. She stressed the urgent need for a concrete action plan to counter this alliance, and ensure that workers who contribute significantly to the textile supply chain are recognised and afforded legal rights, access to minimum wages and social security.
She said that the 2023 update to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises emphasises the obligation of companies to respect workers’ rights to establish or join trade unions without interference.
This includes avoiding actions that can influence workers’ decisions regarding forming unions, which is critical in ensuring a fair and equitable workplace, she added.
More than 50 labour representatives from Karachi’s leading export-oriented textile and garment factories — many of which are part of global framework agreements like the Pakistan Accord — pledged to organise workers against oppressive working conditions.
They resolved to dismantle employer-backed unions, expose anti-worker elements, counter conspiracies against independent labour organisations, and ensure compliance with international standards such as those outlined by the OECD guidelines and due diligence. They also decided that a nationwide Textile & Garments Workers’ Convention would be held in Karachi in mid-April.
Other speakers at the gathering included NTUF President Rafiq Baloch, Home-Based Women Workers Federation President Saira Bano and NTUF Information Secretary Aqib Hussain among others.
