KARACHI:
The National Savings Organisation (NSO) is Pakistan’s leading financial organisation that employs over 1,200 private security guards across Pakistan. Sadly, NSO exploits and hugely underpays these guards, while providing them inhuman and illegal working conditions. A recent survey conducted reveals that all security guards in Karachi deployed at a 12-hour shift receive a measly salary of Rs17,500 with no EOBI, social security or medical leaves. The law requires security guards doing a 12-hour duty to be paid Rs50,000 plus EOBI, social security, four holidays and medical expenses.
NSO not just indulges in such heinous exploitation, but it has also been providing false information to various platforms that it actually pays proper wages to its guards. One example of such falsehood is reflected in the National Commission of Human Rights’ petition number 1(065)2022 dated 21st June, 2022, which states, “The Regional Director appeared on behalf of respondent National Savings Organisation. He stated that the Regional Office, Karachi has implemented minimum wages last year by including new terms in the respective tenders. He further added that he is not sure about the registration of individual security guards in the EOBI and SSI.”
As a concerned citizen, I demand that all contracted guards employed by NSO be immediately provided their legitimate salary, EOBI, social security, weekly holidays and medical leaves. I also demand that NSO management be held accountable for depriving hundreds of contracted security guards of their legitimate wages and entitlements.
Naeem Sadiq
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, September 10th, 2022.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
