HYDERABAD, Feb 25: The District Council on Tuesday demanded of the Sindh government to hand over the control of the labour department, except for its registration branch, to the district government in the light of the provisions of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance (SLGO).

The council further demanded that the provincial government should lift the ban imposed on the inspection of the labour department.

It said that the ban was illegal and the inspections of the labour department should be allowed forthwith.

These were the recommendations which were put forward by the District Council’s labour committee in a report presented in the session by the committee’s chairman, Rana Mehmood Ali Khan. The session was presided over by Convener Nawab Rashid Ali Khan.

The report recommended that the payment of minimum wages of Rs2,500 should be ensured in each department, especially in private schools. It said that the private schools and hospitals should be bound to issue appointment letters, attendance registers and follow the labour laws regarding retirement.

It demanded that a computer should be provided to the district officer, Labour, by the district government.

Referring to the Employees Old Age Benefit Institution (EOABI), the report proposed that the Sindh Labour Department should recommend to the federal secretary, Labour, to make some changes with regard to the mode of payment of pension to widows of those employees who died before reaching 60. A formula has been defined in the report in this context.

The committee said that all the workers should be included in the EOABI scheme, especially those workers who were affiliated with private schools or the bangle industry.

It said that the age of pension should be reduced to 55 years for male and 50 years for female workers.

It said that the procedure for the payment of pension should be made easier.

Regarding the Social Security Institution, the report stated that the secretary, Labour, should recommend to the commissioner, Social Security, to nominate one representative from Hyderabad and interior of Sindh on the governing body of the Social Security Sindh.