Over 60% workers paid below minimum wage

Speakers lament no implementation of minimum wage law in Pakistan

KARACHI:

Minimum wage in Pakistan is lower than the living wage and even then, over 60% of the workers in the country are not receiving it, said Right activist Naim Sadiq

Speaking at a seminar titled ‘Situation of Implementation of the Minimum Wages Law’ on Saturday, he lamented that despite the existence of minimum wage law in Pakistan, there was no implementation of the ruling.

“There are no social security services or any kind of dearness allowance for workers,” he said. “Over 95% of workers in Pakistan do not receive any social security facility from the state institutions.”

He welcomed Sindh High Court’s (SHC) verdict issued on March 10, 2021 which called for payment of minimum wages to janitorial staff and sanitary workers. Keeping the court order in view, he demanded the concerned authorities to ensure payment of minimum wage to all workers.

Read: Punjab govt workers in line for regularisation of daily-wage, contract-based employees

He expressed concern over low wages paid to sanitary workers, security guards and other such employees who are mostly hired by private contractors.

Sadiq highlighted that wages of employees of other sectors were also low especially those people working at petrol pumps.

Citing a World Bank report, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) Executive Director Karamat Ali said that as per the report, Pakistani citizens were earning less than $2 per day, which was below the minimum wage.

He stressed upon the need to implement SHC’s orders.

National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) General Secretary Nasir Mansoor demanded the authorities to include unemployment allowance in the social security services.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2021.

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