Lahore, Oct 8 : An International Labour Organisation (ILO) official has said that Islamabad will be asked to lift restrictions on trade unions and repeal anti-labour laws.

Bureau for Workers Activities Director Dan Cunniah told a delegation of the Pakistan Labour Federation (PLF) that the ILO was working for good relations among workers, employers and governments.

Protection of workers’ rights and their trade union rights is ILO’s responsibility and governments ratifying ILO conventions are required to abide by labour laws, the Dawn quoted him as saying.

Cunniah said this after the delegates, led by PLF Chairwoman Attiya Salim and Secretary-General Muhammad Saeed, told him that the government had imposed restrictions on trade union rights of workers under the Industrial Relations Ordinance.

The delegates also said that government employees could be dismissed summarily under the Removal from Service Ordinance and railway and bank employees have no trade union rights.

The added that a majority of workers in Pakistan belonged to informal and agriculture sectors, which were out of the purview of labour laws and could not form trade unions. (ANI)