‘Expand social protection cover for workers’

Employers should provide complete social protection coverage for their employees to improve their enterprise's productivity, said Employers' Federation of Pakistan (EFP) vice-president Zaki Ahmed Khan on Tuesday.

He expressed these views while addressed an awareness session focused on social security schemes in Sindh. The session was jointly organised by the EFP and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

Khan pointed out that just 42 per cent of secured workers were covered under social security schemes and increasing the coverage of these schemes was the need of the hour, so that most number of employees could benefit from them.

He also stressed the need for improving the quality of Sindh Employees Social Security Institution's services so that more and more employers and workers approached it for social protection.

"This is the dire need of the hour, particularly during the pandemic," Khan added.

SITE Association of Industry president Abdul Hadi was of the opinion that employers were willing to provide social protection to their workers so that they may benefit from the "commitment of a satisfied workforce."

He also highlighted difficulties faced by employers and employees in seeking the SESSI's services, and deemed them a "major hurdle" in the way of expanding social protection coverage.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3^rd, 2021.