Registration of factory, home-based workers launched

Chief secretary orders eviction of encroachers from flats allotted to labourers

KARACHI:

Sindh government has stressed on the registration of labourers, particularly the home-based workers with the Labour Department.

Registration will enable workers to be enlisted with Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI) and Workers Welfare Board to have access to health, education and other facilities.

Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah presiding a meeting of the Labour and Human Resources Department, directed the Secretary of Labour to initiate a province-wide registration campaign for workers, with a special emphasis on home-based workers.

The meeting was attended by key officials including Secretary of Labour Muhammad Rafique Qureshi, Secretary of the Workers Welfare Board Saeed Sualeh Jumani, and SESSI commissioner.

To enhance the effectiveness of the initiative for registering workers, he instructed the Secretary of Services, General Administration and Coordination Department & Coordination Department (SGA&CD) to communicate with all deputy commissioners to support the Labour Department's efforts.

Highlighting the reluctance of many factories to register with the Labour Department, Chief Secretary Shah expressed concern over the deprivation of workers' rightful benefits and protections.

He reiterated the Sindh Government's commitment to providing relief and welfare to the labour class, stating that empowering workers through proper registration is vital for safeguarding their rights and enhancing their living conditions.

The Secretary Labour & Human Resources also addressed the meeting regarding pressing encroachment issues impacting the department's housing facilities.

Specifically, he noted that 100 quarters in Shaheed Benazirabad and 128 flats in Hyderabad are currently occupied unlawfully.