Established in June 2023, the Hamary Awaz (Our Voice) Helpline provides workers with a robust grievance mechanism to report and resolve health and safety, labor rights and other workplace-related concerns in Pakistan.
Building on the success of the Amader Kotha Helpline, which has successfully reduced the risk of harm to over 1.5 million workers, Hamary Awaz has adapted this Helpline model to the context of Pakistan, replicating the key success factors and lessons learned. These include use of highly skilled local Helpline operators, provision of in-factory training for management and workers, establishment of clear protocols for call handling and grievance escalation, generating monthly reports on call volume, and issues.
The Hamary Awaz Helpline is aligned with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, as well as international standards such as the WEST Principles on worker engagement interventions. Its implementation also ensures compliance with the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and other regulations that now mandate effective grievance mechanisms within supply chains. While the Helpline has been launched in the garment sector in Pakistan, it is designed to be sector-agnostic and Helpline services can be expanded to any sector that requires a grievance mechanism for supply chain due diligence.
Hamary Awaz is a unique collaborative partnership between Baidarie, the Cahn Group and LRQA. Baidarie is a Pakistani non-profit organization contributing to the protection of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of vulnerable Pakistani populations. Baidarie specializes in empowering vulnerable communities through skill enhancement, entrepreneurship support, financial inclusion, and advocacy for civic rights, while also addressing gender-based discrimination and fostering community linkages for improved employability and social protection.
The Cahn Group, led by Doug Cahn, is a longstanding corporate responsibility solutions provider and recognized authority on building effective grievance mechanisms in supply chains. The Cahn Group is also an implementing partner in the Amader Kotha Helpline.
LRQA is a leading business risk and sustainability solutions provider, specializing in helping organizations manage risk and implementing sustainable practices. Renowned in the industry, LRQA offers services such as certification, auditing, and training to enhance operational efficiency and support sustainable growth. By combining risk assessment with sustainability strategies, LRQA helps organizations meet regulatory requirements and achieve their sustainability goals, fostering a more resilient and responsible business model.
This fruitful partnership brings combined years of experience building innovative, quality labor compliance programs in supply chains whilst aligning with international best practices.
Proven Call Handling Protocols – Specific call categories and escalation pathways for issues faced by workers for participating factories and brands.
Call Intake and Case Management System – Using trusted local partner, workers may contact the Helpline via a toll-free number, WhatsApp, or email. The call is picked up by a call handler in the Helpline call center who will enter details in the Helpline CRM software.
Skilled Call Handlers – Local language operators with strong backgrounds in Pakistani labor laws are trained to take calls from workers during normal business hours. Workers calling during off-hours hear a recorded message and are called back the next day. Covering 2 languages.
Worker Training – Worker outreach materials, such as posters and danglers, are adapted for Pakistan and made available for distribution in participating factories. In-person training of workers on Helpline awareness and how to use it are implemented in all participating factories, a key step for establishing trust.
Data Analysis and Reporting – Issues are tracked and reported to factory management and for priority cases to brands. Quarterly aggregated analysis is provided to designated Hamary Awaz Helpline partners.
Our numbers speak for themselves
Since launch, we have established strong worker trust, demonstrated by high call and case volumes. By the end of 2024, we anticipate the Helpline reach extending to over 240,000 workers and stand ready to expand coverage from garment factories to include Tier 2 cotton mills going forward.
“The program supports us in improving our complaint handling mechanism and ultimately improves the trust and confidence of our stakeholders in our employment practices.” – A leading garment supplier enrolled with the Helpline
New minimum wage notifications were published in September 2023 for Punjab and November 2023 for Sindh. After onboarding a new supplier in 2024, multiple workers immediately contacted the Helpline to report not receiving the new minimum wage and experiencing delayed salary payments.
After sustained engagement between the Helpline, the supplier and the brand, the supplier increased the minimum wage for all workers, as confirmed by the workers themselves. For the allegations of delayed salary payments, the supplier reviewed their payroll records and acknowledged that there were instances of late disbursement of salaries in previous months. To correct this, the supplier's finance team would ensure that salary payments are made on time going forward, and the factory designated a person to monitor and oversee the process to prevent such delays from happening again.
Multiple former workers of a garment supplier reached out to Hamary Awaz to report that they had not received their pending gratuity.
The supplier initially shared documents that showed workers had received their gratuity, with alleged signatures from the workers themselves. However, the grievants disputed these documents, stating that they had never signed them and did not receive the amounts stated. After sustained engagement between the helpline, the supplier, and the brand, the supplier ultimately made the remaining payments to all affected workers who had contacted the helpline.
Previous audits had not caught these issues, which were finally remedied through the reports received via the helpline. The supplier and buyer were actively involved in the remediation process, and the buyer agreed to support the supplier in improving documentation processes for compliance.
Two workers from a garment supplier reached out to the Helpline, alleging that their male supervisor was Harassing females and had been engaging in inappropriate behavior towards female workers. He was verbally abusive. Despite previously reporting this issue internally, no action had been taken to address their concerns.
The supplier acknowledged the internal report and conducted an investigation through their Harassment committee. The investigation findings substantiated the claims, revealing that the supervisor had indeed engaged in inappropriate behavior. The supplier had previously provided the supervisor with training on appropriate behavior and working style. Despite this, the allegations of inappropriate behavior were still made, and ultimately, the supplier terminated his employment. The workers confirmed that the alleged perpetrator was no longer their supervisor.
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House #13/7-B Model Town Ugoki, Sialkot, Pakistan.
1-800-8333-112
info@hamaryawazhelpline.net
House #13/7-B Model Town Ugoki,
Sialkot, Pakistan.
92-21-38623780
92-21-38623780
https://m.me/hamaryawazhelp
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