HARIPUR: The labour department has taken legal action against 100 industrial units of Haripur district for violating the government’s minimum wage notification.

Sources in the office of the deputy director (labour) of Hazara division told Dawn that 120 industrial units were found to be violating labour laws during the surprise checking and interviews of industrial workers of Hattar Industrial Estate and other areas of the district.

They said the available records showed that the entrepreneurs didn’t pay Rs17,500 fixed as the minimum wage by the government last year for unskilled workers.

Sources said the department submitted challans against those industrial units to the labour court in the last one month and 20 of them were fined Rs837,636.

They said the court was likely to decide over 100 cases shortly.

When contacted, deputy director (labour) Faizullah Khan said he was visiting factories to check if the minimum wages fixed by the government were paid to workers.

He warned that strict action would be taken against the violators of the minimum wage orders.

The official asked workers to approach his office over denial of rights by employers.

GOVT FLAYED: Former chief minister and PML-N Senator Pir Sabir Shah has criticised the PTI government for what he called making the life of common man miserable by increasing goods and utility prices significantly.

He told reporters here on Wednesday thatthe PTI’s was one of the most incapable and inefficient Pakistani governments.

“The frequent hikes in gas and power tariffs and skyrocketing rates of edible items have stressed out the people,” he said.

The PML-N leader said the government’s poor policies had forced the poor and jobless people into committing suicide.

“The ruling PTI has miserably failed to provide the promised relief to the people,” he said.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2020