ISLAMABAD: President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto today [Oct 15] promulgated the West Pakistan Employees Social Security (Amendment) Ordinance 1972, granting further benefits to the workers under the Social Security Scheme. This is the second in a series of ordinances which the President is promulgating in the wake of the Tripartite Labour Conference. The amending Ordinance provides that sickness benefit, which is a cash allowance payable during sickness, shall be allowed for 121 days in a year instead of 91 days as at present.

In case of a worker suffering from tuberculosis the allowance shall be payable for 180 days. … The social security scheme provides benefits to the employees and their dependents such as sickness benefit, maternity benefit, death grant, medical care, injury benefits, disablement pension, disablement gratuity and survivors pension. — News agencies

[Meanwhile, as reported by a staff reporter in Karachi,] The labour situation in the Landhi industrial area further deteriorated yesterday [Oct 15] when workers of Gul Ahmed Textile Mills entrenched themselves to confront the local authorities. On Saturday [Oct 14] the trouble was confined to Dawood Cotton Mills where about 1,000 workers are employed.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2022