Hazardous Home-based Sub-contracted Work
A Study of Multiple Tiered Exploitation
Shahrukh Rafi Khan, Saba Gul Khattak, and Sajid Kazmi
A growing proportion of the work force in Pakistan’s urban centers-especially in cities like Karachi-is being absorbed into home-based, sub-contracted work. However, there is little rigorous research on the subject.
The research conducted for this book indicates that this section of the work force is highly exploited. Wages are low, the hours long irregular, and the work repetitive and often hazardous. There is a concentration of women and children, particularly girls, in the work force.
Relying upon empirical data, this book adds to the conceptual and empirical base of the limited knowledge available to date. It focuses, on the national level, on micro and macro issues and on linking home-based work to the global value chain. At the micro level, the authors look at various issues, particularly the health and economic aspects of home-based work, while at the macro level they locate home-based work in the broader labour market and link it to structural.
