KARACHI: In a powerful call for workers’ rights and corporate accountability, the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) Pakistan hosted a seminar titled “The Role of Trade Unions in Global Supply Chains”— bringing together a wide range of trade union leaders, activists, and labor experts from across the country.
The event served as a platform for collaboration and critical dialogue among representatives from various industrial sectors, with a focus on how workers’ collective power can confront labor exploitation in multinational supply chains.
Prominent speakers included NTUF General Secretary Nasir Mansoor, Zehra Khan(General Secretary, Home-Based Women Workers Federation – HBWWF), Saira Khan (President, HBWWF), Iqbal Abro, Aqib Husain, Shehzad Mughal, Aqsaa Kanwal, and others who shared insights from the frontline of Pakistan’s labor movement.
“The global supply chain spans from raw material sourcing to retail, and at each step, workers are vulnerable to exploitation,”said Shehzad Mughal, a passionate young labor rights activist. He stressed the importance of monitoring working conditions at every level — from factories and warehouses to shipping and store shelves.
Labour law expert Nudrat Buland Iqbal emphasized that trade unions play a critical role in safeguarding workers’ rights across borders. “With production increasingly outsourced to developing countries, the potential for abuse is high. **Unions are key to ensuring fair wages, safe working environments, and respect for legal entitlements like leave and work hours,” he said.
NTUF’s Nasir Mansoor reinforced the message, stating that “In countries where local labor laws are weak or poorly enforced, trade unions can connect with international labor networks to apply pressure on multinational corporations. When corporations ignore workers’ rights, unions can trigger global campaigns, boycotts, and media pressure to demand justice,” he noted.
He added that such seminars are essential for building workers’ awareness, empowering union representatives, and training activists in labor rights advocacy and strategy.
The speakers highlighted encouraging signs of progress globally — pointing to recent legislative reforms in Europe, particularly Germany, where laws now permit legal action against international brands found complicit in labor rights violations within their supply chains.
The seminar concluded with a united call to action: For stronger unionization, legal reforms, international solidarity, and more robust mechanisms to hold powerful brands accountable for their labor practices ensuring that the hands building global products are treated with dignity and fairness.
