New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) Domestic workers in Pakistan’s Sindh are some of the most sought-after yet oppressed people in the region. Constantly flouted labour laws have resulted in a cemented culture of child labour practice, inhumane working hours, meagre pay that more often than not misses the minimum wage mark, as well as disputes that are resolved on the basis of power dynamics, according to an article in the Pakistani media.
The Sindh Domestic Workers Bill of 2018 was the government’s initial attempt at providing domestic workers with specific protections against exploitation. But the draft bill never became a law. Then last year, the Sindh Assembly finalised the draft of an updated bill, the Sindh Domestic Workers Welfare Bill, 2025, the article in The Express Tribune said.
But the approval of this bill too stands delayed, leaving about 1 to 1.2 million domestic workers unprotected.
The 2025 bill prohibits children under 16 from domestic employment. It also increases the minimum period of maternity leave; orders dispute resolution through labour courts; mandates written contracts between employers and employees; and imposes maximum hours of work allowed, the article noted, adding that in theory, the bill is a perfect example of protecting domestic workers against abuse and exploitative practices.
But there are far more reasons to be sceptical about its prowess in real life. In fact, Sindh currently has three child labour laws that overlap one another and stipulate different penalties and protections for child workers, the article lamented.
This proves that the province is much more interested in proposing bills and mandating penalties instead of carrying them to completion and ensuring their enactment. The Sindh government must ensure that the 2025 bill does not experience delays similar to the previous ones. Without the protection of this bill, domestic workers have nowhere to turn when needed, it observed.
The worsening plight of these workers is part of the stark reality of rising inequality and poverty in Pakistan during the last six years, which has been highlighted by a recent report of the country’s Planning Commission. This conclusion is based on a comparison of the level and distribution of household incomes, according to the Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) of 2018-19 and 2024-25, respectively, undertaken by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
–IANS
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