On May 1, 2024, the IUF-affiliated Pakistan Food Workers Federation [PFWF], Pakistan Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tourism, Clubs and Allied Workers Federation [PHRCTCAWF], and Sindh Nari Porhyat Council [SNPC] formally launched the IUF-Pakistan Coordination Council [IUF-PCC] in the presence of over 500 delegates and elected the Steering Committee with Brother Qamar ul Hasan as the General Secretary.
With the vital support of the IUF team in Pakistan in the last 27 years, the independent, democratic trade union federations affiliated to the IUF were firmly established and made tremendous progress in exercising the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining, securing permanent jobs, ensuring safe workplaces and better working condition for workers through multiple campaigns. Consequently, the federations’ governing bodies in August 2023 passed resolutions to establish IUF – Pakistan Coordination Council.
The IUF-PCC will function as a structure to build strength and increase membership with the commitment to advance collective rights of workers across IUF sectors in Pakistan, thereby increasing collective bargaining power in the workplace, industrial power across industries, and union power in society.
The experience, support and guidance of the IUF-Japan Coordination Council [IUF-JCC] is instrumental in formation of IUF-PCC.
Brother Katsutoshi Matano, Central Executive Standing Committee Member, Director, International Affairs Bureau, UA ZENSEN on behalf of the IUF-JCC extended solidarity to IUF-PCC at the launch event.
Brother Qamar emphasized the role of democratic unions and strengthening the quality of union leadership in the last 27 years which resulted in securing permanent jobs for thousand of workers, promoting gender equality in the unions and in workplaces by and increasing collective bargaining power.
Brother Qamar ul Hasan, newly elected IUF-PCC General Secretary.
Brother Hidayat emphasized the need to establish IUF-PCC and reaffirmed IUF commitment to build strong unions for members and their families. Brother Hidayat highlighted the importance of exercising the right to freedom of association and building collective bargaining power as the only way to lift members and their families out of poverty.
Brother Hidayat Greenfield, IUF Asia/Pacific Regional Secretary.
Brother Khaista thanked the IUF for building PFWF as a strong federation in food processing and beverage manufacturing industries and committed to organize workers in the sector.
Brother Khaista Rehman, PFWF General Secretary and 2nd alternate for South Asia on the IUF Asia/Pacific Regional Committee announced the rules of IUF-PCC.
Brother Ghulam Mehboob, PHRCTCAWF General Secretary highlighted the role of IUF in advancing rights of workers in the hotel and tourism sector.
Sister Rafia Gul, SNPC Chairperson speaking on the IUF support for recognition of women agricultural workers.
Sister Sadia Kanwal, PFWF organizer and 1st alternate for South Asia on the IUF Asia/Pacific Regional Women’s Committee presented the progress in Pakistan in winning women’s rights and winning better skilled, better paid, secure jobs for women workers and to be active in union leadership.
Sister Iqra Jameel, PFWF Youth Secretary and chair of the IUF Asia/Pacific Regional Youth Committee appreciated the union support to education and train young leaders and for promoting quality apprenticeships for better skilled-better paid jobs for youth.
Brother Alamgir Khan, member of the newly formed Tobacco Growers Association appreciated the support of IUF Asia/Pacific in establishing the association and progress towards securing rights in the tobacco sector.
