Workers' body alleges corruption in SESSI and WWBS

The Workers' Solidarity Committee (WSC) — a coalition of labour, human rights, and social organisations alongside progressive intellectuals — has strongly condemned what it described as an "assault on workers' rights," the legitimisation of lawlessness through the Sindh Labour Code.

WSC alleged large-scale corruption within key social protection institutions, the Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI) and Sindh Workers Welfare Board (WWBS).

Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, prominent activists including Anees Haroon (National Commission on Human Rights), Dr Riaz Shaikh (SZABIST), Nasir Mansoor (NTUF), Gul Shar (Watan Dost Mazdoor Federation), Liaqat Sahi (Democratic Workers Union), Razzaq Memon (Port Workers Union), Qazi Khizar (HRCP), Tahir Khan (PFUJ), Zehra Khan (HBWWF), and labour leader Comrade Usman Baloch, accused the Sindh Labour Dept of shielding factory owners while failing to enforce labour laws.

They claimed that the WWBS - which manages over Rs50 billion in workers' funds - has been run on an ad-hoc basis for months, violated procurement rules, purchased an expensive Clifton office inaccessible to workers, and misused billions on poorly executed repairs, non-mandated insurance schemes, and unapproved projects such as a Rs3 billion e-bike programme.

They demanded full investigation into WWBS expenditures and reconstitution of its board, permanent appointments in all social protection institutions, registration of at least 3 million workers in SESSI per court orders.