ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Friday his government had made labour-specific policies for welfare of the poor and marginalised class and not to get political mileage.

“Ensuring implementation of labour laws is a real challenge which requires special attention,” he said while chairing a meeting at his residence in Banigala on the Punjab Labour Policy and various initiatives undertaken for welfare of workers in the province. The policy was announced by the prime minister in December 2018.

According to the PM Office, the prime minister appreciated various steps being taken for welfare of workers, particularly domestic workers, in the province.

Ensuring implementation of labour laws is real challenge which requires special attention, says Imran

The meeting was attended by Ansar Majeed Khan Niazi, Punjab labour minister; Dr Shahbaz Gill, spokesperson for the chief minister of the province; Sarah Aslam, provincial labour secretary; and Saqib Manan, commissioner of the Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI).

Prime Minister Khan was told that Punjab’s labour policy had been formulated with a vision to ensure gainfully employed and satisfied labour force which optimally contributed to national growth and worked in a decent environment as per national and international standards. He was told that the policy was based on labour rights guaranteed by the constitution and labour laws of the country and International Labour Organisation conventions.

The prime minister was informed that the Punjab Occupational Safety Health Act 2019 and Punjab Domestic Workers Act 2019 had been approved by the provincial legislature. The latter will help in protecting the rights of some of the most disadvantaged workers in the province by providing them the official identity of worker and a forum for redressal of their grievances.

He was told that the Punjab Minimum Wages Act 2018 streamlined four different laws to regulate and facilitate successful implementation of minimum wage across the province.

The prime minister was informed that the draft Punjab home-based workers act 2018 recognised those who worked at/from home as a special category of workers with an equal legal status and right to traditional market-based wages. The Punjab Workers Welfare Fund Act 2019 and Companies Profit (Workers’ Participation) Act 2019 are under process. The latter will enable workers to get due share from five per cent profit of the companies and the left over will go to the Worker Welfare Fund.

Prime Minister Khan was apprised that allotment process in labour colonies had been streamlined under the new allotment policy. Applications have been sought for allotment of 1,397 flats in three labour colonies in Multan and Warburton and Defence Road in Lahore.

He was informed that Rs3,997.6 million had been disbursed among 37,860 beneficiaries as welfare grant during the past nine months in the province against Rs1,416m grant distributed among 12,519 beneficiaries in 12 months during the previous year.

It was brought into knowledge of the prime minister that a proposal for enhancement of minimum wages was under consideration by the Punjab government.

The PESSI commissioner said that the entire registration process of businesses had been made online along with initiation of online payment for pensioners. A health insurance scheme for retired workers was also under consideration, he added.

Prime Minister Khan was told that a proposal for “loyalty scheme” was also being considered through which special cards could be issued to the registered labourers, enabling them to avail concessions at Utility Stores and in railway fares.

Published in Dawn, April 13th, 2019