Asgnment On Laws
Asgnment On Laws
Asgnment On Laws
In September 2002 the government adopted a new labour policy that aims
eventually to consolidate more than 50 existing labour laws into just seven. Of
these, a new Industrial Relations Ordinance 2002 (IRO 2002) was passed in October
2002 to replace the IRO 1969. The other six new laws being drafted are the Wages
Ordinance, the Condition of Employment Ordinance, the Human Resource
Development Ordinance, the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance, the Labour
Welfare and Social Safety Ordinance, and the Reformation of Labour Judiciary
Ordinance; these are expected to be presented for parliamentary approval by the
end of 2004. The government also aims to reform the labour judiciary, improve
working conditions and strengthen democratic trade unionism. However, the trade
unions have strongly criticized both the policy and the IRO 2002.
The unions oppose the IRO 2002 on various grounds. They point out that it has
curtailed the power of courts to order the compulsory reinstatement of workers
after wrongful termination, allowing them instead to order only compensation.
Furthermore, courts may no longer send employers to prison; they may order fines
of up to only PRs50,000. Unions claim that their registration process has been made
more difficult. They also argue that a designated collective-bargaining agent could
previously have ordered a re-audit of the company's accounts and those unions
could have presented a panel of auditors from which the government would choose
one; this is no longer possible under the IRO 2002. The IRO 2002 has also curtailed
the power of the National Industrial Relations Commission, and proposes to abolish
the labour appellate tribunal. Several joint negotiating forums have been eliminated
and replaced with a workers' council that promises little. The government claims
that these moves are meant to improve dialogue and reduce litigation.
The IRO 2002 (like its predecessor, the IRO 1969) gives employees the right to
strike and employers the right to lock out, but it provides for more extensive
preliminary conciliation and arbitration proceedings than the IRO 1969. However,
the Essential Services Maintenance Act of 1952 restricts union activity in state-
administered sectors, including railways, postal services, telephone and affiliated
services, and airports and seaports. The IRO specifies the procedure to be followed
before a strike can legally be called, although its provisions are not always followed.
Certain actions are punishable as unfair labour practices: closure of an
establishment without prior permission from the labour court (except for power
failure, epidemic or civil commotion); illegal lockouts; illegal strikes; and slow-down
tactics.
The Workmen's Compensation Act applies broadly to laborers earning less than
PRs5,000 per month and entitles them to compensation for injuries resulting from
on-the-job accidents. Employers are liable if incapacity lasts beyond a minimum of
seven days. This law was modified with retroactive effect from July 2001.
NATIONAL RECONCILIATION ORDINANCE
AND WHEREAS the National Assembly is not in session and the President is satisfied
that circumstances exist which render it necessary to take immediate action;
(3) For the purposes of exercise of powers under sub-section (2) the Federal
Government and the Provincial Government may each constitute a Review
Board to review the entire record of the case and furnish recommendations as
to their withdrawal or otherwise.
(4) The Review Board in case of Federal Government shall be headed by a retired
judge of the Supreme Court with Attorney-General and Federal Law Secretary
as its members and in case of Provincial Government it shall be headed by a
retired judge of the High Court with Advocate-General and/or Prosecutor-
General and Provincial Law Secretary as its members.
(5) A review Board undertaking review of a case may direct the Public Prosecutor
or any other concerned authority to furnish to it the record of the case.