Effect given to the recommendations of the committee and the Governing Body - REPORT_NO346, June 2007

Effect given to the recommendations of the Committee and the Governing Body

1. 142. The Committee last examined this case at its November 2005 meeting when it urged, once again, the Government to lift immediately the ban on trade union activities at Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) and to restore without delay the rights of the KESC Democratic Mazdoor Union as a collective bargaining agent [338th Report, paras 264–266].
2. 143. In its communication of 14 October 2006, the Federation of Oil, Gas, Steel, Docks, Communication, Transport & Electricity Workers (FOGSEW) indicated that the Government has so far ignored the Committee’s recommendations in this case. Moreover, the High Court Sindh, in its verdict of 23 June 2006, directed the National Industrial Relations Commission to decide to conduct a new election of a collective bargaining agent in the KESC, thereby ignoring the Committee’s recommendation. The FOGSWEG was now preparing to address the High Court again with a complaint of infringement of collective bargaining rights.
3. 144. The Committee regrets that the Government provided no information regarding this case since its last examination. The Committee emphasizes that the Government should recognize the importance for their own reputation of formulating detailed replies to the allegations brought by complainant organizations, so as to allow the Committee to undertake an objective examination [see Digest of decisions and principles of the Freedom of Association Committee, fifth edition, 2006, para. 24]. The Committee strongly urges the Government to be more cooperative in the future. The Committee recalls that it has been requesting the Government to restore collective bargaining rights to the KESC Democratic Mazdoor Union since this case was examined for the first time in November 2000. Deploring that the Government has so far not given any effect to its recommendation, the Committee once again strongly urges the Government to restore without delay the rights of the KESC Democratic Mazdoor Union as collective bargaining agent and to keep it informed in this respect.