Unenforced labour laws

The US Trade Representative’s decision to place Pakistan among 60 countries facing investigations into forced labour should be seen as an embarrassment for us. However, there is still a silver lining, because time and again, Pakistani leaders across the political spectrum have shown that they will always do the right thing — but only after decades of inaction and a fully realised threat of punitive action by our allies and trading partners. If the trade representative’s office finds Pakistan guilty, we would stand to lose billions of dollars worth of exports due to sanctions and other trade restrictions.

For years, Pakistan’s struggle against child and bonded labour has been a story of piecemeal laws and inadequate enforcement, which often becomes even more lax at times when demand for labour increases, especially in export-oriented industries. This is because entry-level workers in these industries are usually above average, making them more attractive to exploitative hiring practices that keep wage costs down.

Given that the US is still Pakistan’s biggest export destination, this development could achieve in a matter of weeks what the blood, sweat and tears of thousands of rights activists have failed to do since the birth of the country. Among the steps most likely to be needed to meet any requirements for US market access would be the establishment of a transparent track-and-trace system for US-bound goods, along with stronger enforcement of human trafficking laws and the upholding of labour rights. Regular inspections and some basic data sharing or recordkeeping by employers are enough to meet all these needs, and given that all of these are good for workers, it would be wise — and possibly less costly — to just enforce them across the board.

As is often the case, the laws are already on the books. The only thing lacking is the political will to enforce them.