After a decade-long legal battle, 55 contract workers at IFFCO Pakistan have achieved a significant victory as the Supreme Court of Pakistan granted them permanent worker status on 4 April.
This milestone comes after the Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed by IFFCO management challenging earlier rulings of lower courts, which had favored the contract workers and their union.
The journey to justice began in 2014 when around 90 contract workers of IFFCO Pakistan filed a petition in the National Industrial Relation Commission (NIRC) in Karachi, citing unfair labor practices and violations of their right to freedom of association. The company had refused to recognize them as employees and denied their right to join the existing union or form their own.
While the final ruling from the NIRC came in 2020, the commission provided interim relief to the petitioners by allowing them to continue working until a final decision was reached. In 2017, the contract workers successfully registered their union, but the company management challenged this decision in the Sindh High Court and subsequently began illegally terminating union members. Despite these challenges, the NIRC ruled in 2020 that the workers were entitled to statutory benefits and ordered their reinstatement with back wages.
After numerous legal proceedings, the Supreme Court’s decision to dismiss the management’s appeals in favor of the workers is a testament to their perseverance and the strength of their case. However, the implementation of the Supreme Court order is still pending.
Imran Ali, PCEM General Secretary, highlights the importance of immediate implementation of the court order, emphasizing the prolonged struggle for justice faced by precarious workers in Pakistan.
Ashutosh Bhattacharya, IndustriALL’s South Asia regional secretary, commends the workers and their union for their resilience and solidarity, reaffirming IndustriALL’s support for precarious workers’ struggles worldwide.
Source: IndustriAll Global Union
