Authorities target wage law violators

Massive violations of minimum wage law unearthed in private business sector

RAWALPINDI:

Massive violations of the law regarding the minimum monthly wage of Rs32,000 have been exposed in the private sector. Making ends meet with fixed monthly salaries during the severe wave of inflation proves challenging for a large number of citizens.

Many large business owners in the private sector pay their employees between Rs20,000 to Rs25,000 as monthly remuneration. The Labour Welfare Department has launched a crackdown against factories and shop owners exploiting poor workers, initiating prosecution for those paying less than the minimum stipulated wage.

Employees in the business centres of the private sector currently face cruel exploitation, with owners failing to pay the government-mandated minimum monthly salary of Rs32,000. This amount is insufficient to cope with current stagflation. Instead, the employees receive salaries ranging from Rs20,000 to Rs25,000, with additional deductions for various reasons, making it difficult to meet their living needs.

Read Minimum wage enforcement urged

In a campaign, led by the Labour Welfare Department in Rawalpindi, notices printed on big banners have been displayed outside business centres, factories, and shops to convince owners not to pay less than Rs32,000 to their employees.

The campaign along with subsequent scrutiny from the department reveals that out of 550 factories inspected in Rawalpindi, 51 were inspected and only six were found compliant with the law. Subsequently, prosecution is being launched against 45 factories paying less than Rs32,000 wage to its employees. Similarly, in 71 out of 17,542 registered shops, the employees of 16 shops were found to be paid their remunerations according to the law, on which prosecution was started against 55 violating shop owners.

In Attock, 10 out of 179 factories were inspected, with only 1 adhering to the legal salary, resulting in legal action against 9 factories.

Read Labour dept penalises wage law violators

Jhelum saw inspections of six out of 124 registered factories, where only one factory paid salaries according to the law, initiating legal action against five violating factories. In Chakwal, out of 136 factories inspected, two violated the law, leading to prosecuting them. Out of 20,732 registered shops, 126 shops were inspected in Chakwal, and 79 shop owners paid less than Rs32,000 wage to their employees, resulting in the initiation of legal action against them.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Rawalpindi Division’s Labour Welfare Director, Samiullah Khan, said: “The minimum salary of Rs32,000 was fixed by the government, and action will be taken against private sector institutions violating this law.”

A continuous awareness campaign aims to ensure compliance and legal action against those failing to pay the minimum wage, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2023.