One million private security guards, working 12 hours a day, hired through unethical security companies by yet more unethical employers are paid less than one third of their entitled minimum legal wage. The violators include National Saving, Pakistan Post, PIA, all government hospitals, banks, multinationals, shopping malls, industry, commercial offices and the insatiably greedy citizens.
Thousands of 3rd party sanitation workers across municipalities, government offices, Federal Government Housing Authority, airports, government hospitals, shopping malls and private offices are paid approximately Rs20,000 per month as against the minimum legal wage of Rs37,000.
Only for the 12,000 sanitation workers of Sindh Solid Waste Management (SSWMB), the difference of Rs17,000 per worker per month comes to a wage theft of Rs2.5 billion per year. Who pockets this amount?
Railway coolies, at railway platforms, surrender 30% of their daily earnings to a Railway appointed contractor, who in turn shares the loot with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, as represented by its Railway.
We are not talking of unknown BVR (beyond visual range) workers. For prominent recognition and easy radar detection, the sanitation workers wear an orange jacket, the guards wear a blue uniform, and the Railway coolies wear red shirts and red turbans. However, the labour departments, bureaucrats, politicians and the greedy elite refuse to see, acknowledge or understand the plight, the cruelty and the exploitation that kills millions of our helpless voiceless workers – every day.
While the state has opted to look the other way, will the citizens please raise their voice to demand minimum legal wage, duty hours, overtime and EOBI for every exploited worker of Pakistan.
Naeem Sadiq
Karachi
