Industrial relations: Govt to set up mines labour welfare body

A summary will soon be sent to the chief minister for his approval

LAHORE: The provincial government has decided to set up an independent Mines Workers Labour Welfare Commissionerate. A summary will soon be submitted to Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for his approval, Minister for Mines and Minerals Chaudhary Sher Ali Khan said on Monday.

Presiding over a meeting to review department affairs, the minister also announced the decision to establish a hospital in Rawalpindi for mines workers on the pattern of the Social Security Hospitals maintained by the Labour Department.

He said state-of-the-art services would be provided at the hospital. “Workers and their families will no longer need to visit teaching hospitals for their healthcare needs,” he said. He said the hospital would serve mines workers based in Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Sargodha, Chakwal and surrounding areas.

Khan said the department was working on a project to set up housing colonies spread over hundreds of kanals of land in Chakwal and Khushab. He said this would end migration of workers from these districts.

The colonies would be purpose built, featuring dispensaries, schools, mosques and shopping centres and equipped with infrastructure for necessary utilities like electricity.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2016.