Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met with Luc Triangle, Secretary General of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), in Islamabad to discuss efforts for protecting labor rights, climate resilience, and workforce development in Pakistan.
The Prime Minister appreciated ITUC’s global efforts to promote the rights of the workforce and reaffirmed Pakistan’s partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO) to safeguard the rights and welfare of workers and laborers.
He stated that the government is expanding the scope of Employees' Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) and the Workers Welfare Fund to ensure that more employees and laborers can benefit from these social safety nets.
Shehbaz Sharif also emphasized the government’s focus on skill development, mentioning that the National Vocational & Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) at the federal level and vocational institutes at the provincial level are running multiple training programs to equip youth with market-relevant skills.
Addressing the impact of climate change, the Prime Minister said that Pakistan is among the countries most affected by climate change, with the 2022 floods alone causing damages worth $30 billion. He noted that laborers and workers have suffered significant livelihood challenges due to climate-related disasters.
He called for special financial assistance from international financial institutions to help Pakistan and other vulnerable nations cope with the effects of climate change. The Prime Minister reiterated his government’s commitment to ensuring that climate adaptation and mitigation efforts also protect the livelihoods of economically vulnerable communities.
Luc Triangle praised Pakistan’s democratic values and the steps being taken to improve the welfare of workers and laborers. Regional ITUC Secretary General Shoya Yoshida also participated in the meeting.
The session was attended by senior federal ministers including Azam Nazeer Tarar, Ahsan Iqbal, Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Minister of State Aun Chaudhry, Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi, and other senior officials.
