KARACHI: Govt to raise minimum wages, pension: minister
KARACHI, May 9: Federal Labour and Manpower Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan has said that the government will increase existing minimum wages of workers as well as pensions and contract workers would enjoy benefits being received by regular workers.
He was speaking at a news conference after meeting with leaders of workers federations and trade unions at Employees Old Age Benefit Institution’s Karachi office here on Tuesday.
He said that hurdles in the way of payment of pension to pensioners would be removed and the process would be made easier.
Sarwar Khan said that in order to protect the rights of contract workers, the definition of ‘contract worker’ under Standing Order Ordinance 1968 was being amended. The government decided to enhance amount of death grant, marriage grant, student scholarship, number of cash benefits for workers besides introducing other welfare steps for workers in the country, he said.
He said that the amounts of death and marriage grants were being increased from Rs150,000 to Rs200,000 and from Rs30,000 to Rs50,000, respectively. The marriage grant was earlier given to the workers for marriage of their two daughters, he said. However, he added, now it could be given for marriage of up to five daughters.
He said it was decided to enhance the amount of scholarship for workers’ children by 25 per cent, as educational expenditures had been increased during the last five years.
“All expenses of workers’ children who were admitted in prestigious professional institutions like IBA, LUMS, NUST, Agha Khan University and all medical and engineering colleges/universities in public sector would be provided by the Workers Welfare Fund,” he added. He said that some reforms had been taken with regard to women workers. “Women can work till 10pm and transport facility would be given to them by employers,” he added.Meanwhile, labour leaders of different workers’ federations and representatives of trade union in their talks to the minister demanded an end to existing Industrial Relation Ordinance 2002 and adoption of the draft of trade unions action committee and WEBCOP as the new Industrial Relation Law besides withdrawal of existing amendment of 27-B of the Banking Companies Ordinance 1962.
Federal Secretary Labour and Manpower Malik Asif Hayat and labour leaders of different workers’ federations and trade union were present. –PPI
