Workers’ welfare

At present finalisation of pension is delayed so much that a number of workers die waiting for their pensions

Sindh Labour Minister Saeed Ghani has announced that the first Benazir Mazdoor Card will be issued on January 1, 2021, and in the first phase, these cards will be distributed among 6,25,000 SESSI manual card holders. But it is not clear how the Benazir Mazdoor Card differs from the SESSI manual card. It is unclear whether it is the failing of the minister or of his speech writer, because in the absence of the shortest description of even some of the distinguishing features of the smart cards, the whole information becomes an exercise in verbosity.

Speaking at the signing ceremony of an agreement relating to the project between the Sindh Employees Social Security Institutions (SESSI) and the National Database Regulatory Authority (NADRA), the minister said after the first phase, the Sindh government would likely expand the welfare scheme to cover another five million workers. The government, according to the minister, also plans to bring unsecured and independent workers — those who did not work in a factory or mill — under the umbrella of the mentioned project. Expressing the hope that the smart cards would eliminate the chances of corruption, Ghani said that the project was launched in 2016 but it had to be stopped due to some problems, and when the government resumed working on it last year, it was stalled due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. He said the provincial government was also considering bringing SESSI, the Sindh Workers Welfare Board, the Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution, and the Mines Welfare Organisation under one umbrella to facilitate the workers’ class that is one the weakest and most vulnerable segments of society in monetary terms.

SESSI provides retirement, medical and unemployment benefits to workers. As for the government’s intentions of bringing SESSI, EOBI and another organisation under one umbrella, we would like it to pay attention to streamlining the functioning of EOBI. At present finalisation of workers’ pension is delayed so much that a considerable number of retired workers die while waiting for the start of their pensions. The welfare of each is bound up with the welfare of all.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2020.

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