Pakistan is taking significant steps to extend labour and social protection to the country’s informal workforce, which makes up over 80% of employees. The initiative, driven under the ILO’s PRS Phase 2 Project, aims to formalize work, strengthen social dialogue, and improve access to essential protections for workers in sectors like domestic work, sanitation, and plastics.
Through the project, over 10,000 domestic and sanitation workers have been mobilized, unionized, and registered, while social security coverage has been extended to more than 18,000 waste management employees. The initiative also includes occupational safety improvements, paid maternity leave, PPE provision, and digital wallet accounts to enhance financial inclusion for low-income households.
Officials stressed that tripartite collaboration between government, employers, and workers is key to making progress sustainable. By formalizing informal work and empowering workers through unions and improved social protection, Pakistan aims to enhance dignity, livelihoods, and overall working conditions across underserved sectors.
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