Textile industries challenge Sindh govt orders

Argue they cannot afford to pay salaries when factories are shut

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued on Thursday notices to the Sindh government seeking a reply on the petitions filed on behalf of textile industries regarding the retention of workers and payment of employee salaries.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed, heard the plea at the SHC.

The petitioner’s counsel maintained that textile industries had been directed to retain their staff and pay their salaries during the entire lockdown period. He argued that it was not possible for textile units to afford these payments as all operations, including imports and exports, had been shut down.

He further claimed that this directive issued by the Sindh government violated the Sindh Payment of Wages Act, 2015.

The court directed the government to state the legal basis under which textile industries were told to pay salaries.

The public prosecutor informed the court that its notice should be directed to the Sindh labour and human resource department.

The court directed the relevant department to submit their replies by April 30. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24^th, 2020.