Baqar wants summary floated to fix Rs32,000 as minimum wage

Sindh caretaker chief minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar on Sunday directed the provincial labour secretary to float a summary for the approval of the minimum wage of Rs32,000.

Baqar directed the Sindh Labour Department to activate its directorates concerned to bring an end to the discrimination meted out to female workers in terms of salary, regularisation and retirement while resolving the issues of all workers of industrial units.

He issued these directives at the CM House, where he chaired a joint meeting of the labour department and a 29-member delegation of the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education & Research led by its Executive Director Karamat Ali.

The interim CM was informed about the issues being faced by labourers working in various industrial units, following which he ordered the labour department to resolve them.

The most glaring issue was the implementation of the minimum wage of Rs32,000 that was announced by the previous government on the floor of the provincial assembly.

Replying to a question, Labour Secretary Shariq Ahmed told Baqar that the minimum wage of Rs32,000 is yet to be approved by the provincial cabinet. The caretaker CM directed him to float a summary for the cabinet, get it approved by circulation and then ensure its implementation.

The labour leaders admitted that some labour department officers have been serious about resolving their issues. However, they pointed out, due to frequent transfers and postings of the officers concerned, the problems remain unresolved. Baqar then directed the labour secretary to discourage unnecessary transfers and postings.

Discrimination

The interim CM was informed that female workers are being offered lower salaries than male workers, and that when female workers reach the age bracket of 42-45, they are deemed old and fired or they are refused jobs, particularly in the textile sector.

Baqar directed the labour department to take the necessary administrative measures to bring an end to such inhuman discrimination. “A senior worker, particularly a woman, proves to be an asset for industrial units if the necessary benefit is taken out of her experience.”

Inspection

The caretaker CM directed the labour department to start inspections of all the industrial units to check their record, the number of their workers, and the amount of salary being paid to each and every worker.

He also ordered checking the safety measures taken for the workers employed there, and the medical support being offered in case of an incident. He told the labour department to submit its report to the CM’s Secretariat.

The labour secretary said his department has been facing a shortage of officers, for which the department had sent a requisition to the Sindh Public Service Commission last year.

Baqar directed his secretary, Hassan Naqvi, to send a note to the commission’s chairman with the request to expedite the selection process of labour officers. The interim CM also issued directives for overcoming the shortage of staff in labour courts.

Trans-provincial firms

The labour leaders also highlighted some issues of the workers employed in the companies or establishments operating in different provinces simultaneously. The labour secretary said that such companies are unregistered with the provincial government.

Baqar directed the labour department to identify such establishments or groups of establishments having branches in more than one province and seek the opinion of the law department as regards how their registration can be ensured.

Under-registration

The labour leaders complained that the number of workers registered with the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (Sessi) is lower than the workers registered with the Employees Old-age Benefits Institution (EOBI).

The caretaker CM directed the labour department to reconcile the workers’ data of Sessi with that of the EOBI, then report to him. He also told the directorates of the labour department to ensure the collection of data of workers from companies and that of home-based workers, then register them.

Child labour

The labour leaders mentioned the October 17 fire incident at a factory that claimed the lives of two children working there. Baqar expressed displeasure, and asked the labour department what it was doing when industrial units were employing children.

He ordered the labour department to submit to him a report on the incident, with the inclusion of a compensation plan for the victims’ families.

He also directed the labour department to prepare a carefully planned concept paper for the

welfare of the families involving their children in labour. “I want to save children from working as servants while simultaneously keep the stoves of their houses burning so their families can continue to be fed. This should be the concept.”

The interim CM said the labour department has resources to start such projects in which children of poor families involved in child labour may be registered for vocational training and given honorarium to support their families.

He directed the labour department to form a reforms committee to bring about improvement in the labour laws for the betterment of workers. He said the labour department is to propose the forming of a reforms committee, with representation of workers, employers’ federations, lawyers, etc., along with terms of reference.