Labour unions across Sindh have strongly rejected the proposed Sindh Labour Code, warning that it undermines worker protections and promotes exploitative contract labour practices. The draft code, prepared without meaningful consultation, has faced unified opposition from major federations and labour leaders.

Unions labelled the code as anti-worker, arguing that it would strip away long-established rights, formalize precarious employment, and allow employers to evade responsibilities through ambiguous worker definitions. They criticized its reintroduction of advance payment (peshgi) systems—seen as modern wage slavery—and noted it contradicts Pakistan’s commitments under ILO conventions and its own Bonded Labour Abolition Act.

At a major conference, labour representatives demanded:

  • Immediate withdrawal of the draft and scrapping of unfair clauses
  • Declaration of a living wage as the statutory minimum
  • Mandatory social security and pension registration for all workers
  • Strict regulation or abolition of contract labour systems
  • Institutionalized tripartite consultations, including the government, employers, and workers

Union leaders forecast nationwide protests if governments in Sindh and Punjab proceed without revisions. They urged provincial authorities to halt the code and instead strengthen existing labour laws with fair, inclusive reforms.