Labour welfare: Minister promises facilities for workers

A 10-bed social security hospital will be set up for workers in Sargodha, says minister.

LAHORE:

Minister for Labour Raja Ashfaq Sarwar said on Friday provision of facilities to labourers was being monitored and performance audits would be held regularly for the department.

Addressing a meeting, Sarwar said a 10-bed social security hospital, equipped with medical facilities, would be set up for workers in Sargodha.

He said thousands of labourers and their families had been provided loans between Rs10,000 and Rs25,000 to start their own businesses.

He said the government had set up a Rs500 million fund to provide loans for small entrepreneurs. He said Rs30 million had been disbursed already.

Sarwar said registration of kiln workers in the province would be completed by December so that they could avail the benefits from worker welfare funds.

He said a Rs10,000 minimum wage had been legislated for labourers at industrial units.

He said the government was aiming to raise it to Rs15,000.

“Free primary education is being provided to children of kiln workers under the informal education programme in Kasur, Lahore, Nankana and Jhelum,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2013.