The officials of the Labour and Human Resource Department Punjab have launched a large-scale crackdown against private sector enterprises for not implementing a minimum monthly wage of Rs32,000 and began imposing hefty fines.
The field teams have found that a vast majority in the private sector aren’t paying the minimum salary of 32,000 to their employees who have rather become forced labourers.
The government had made it obligatory through legislation for the private sector to ensure the minimum wages.
On Wednesday, a team led by labour inspector Dr Abdul Shakur seized the salary record of two pharmaceutical companies, situated on Adiala Road, and found that the minimum salary was not being given to the employees.
Read: Minimum wagers face government’s apathy
The department will issue fines to both companies and send cases with challans to the court for further legal action.
Sources in the labour department said as the private sector is largely involved in violation of payment of minimum wages to the employees, the department has swung into action all such enterprises.
They said that the employees of companies and organisations could inform the department anonymously about the exact picture for timely action and redressal of their grievances.
The department has ensured 100% implementation of minimum wage law at workplaces where its field teams detected violations, the sources added.
Earlier, the officials also found that a large number of employees of the Rawalpindi Metro bus service were not being paid the minimum salary. A payroll inspection established that 42 employees were being paid a monthly salary of Rs29,000, and 214 employees were being paid Rs25,000.
Due to an [aggressive] action taken by the labour department, the employees of Metro bus service received their arrears valuing Rs20 million, and are now getting Rs32,000 monthly salary.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 23rd, 2024.
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