SOCIAL security is a basic human right that a society provides to individuals and households to ensure access to healthcare, and to guarantee income security, particularly in case of old age, unemployment, sickness, invalidity, work injury, maternity or loss of a breadwinner.

In Pakistan, the social security scheme was launched on March 1, 1967, under the West Pakistan Employees’ Social Security Ordinance No. X of 1965, with the assistance of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The Sindh Employees’ Social Security Institution (SESSI), however, came into being on July 1, 1970, when the scheme was reorganised on a provincial basis after the dissolution of One-Unit system.

Initially, the larger scheme was designed for textile industry workers of Karachi, Hyderabad, Lahore and Lyallpur (now Faisalabad). On getting encouraging results, the scheme was later extended to all other industries and commercial units.

Social security institutions provide healthcare, medical treatment and cash benefits to registered workers and their families. Other than SESSI, parallel organisations in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan are providing services to workers and their families.

Similarly, the Workers Welfare Fund (WWF) was established in 1971 to provide free of cost education up to secondary level and scholarships to workers’ children, a marriage grant of Rs0.4 million for each daughter, and a grant of Rs0.8 million to the family in case of a worker’s death.

The Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) had come into existence in 1976 to provide long-term old-age pension, survivors’ pension and invalidity pension to its insured persons under the EOB Act of 1976. But, unfortunately, these welfare institutions have a limit on the number of employees and salary for registration and eligibility for various benefits and facilities, which is tantamount to a discrimination against the working class, depriving it of what happens to be its basic rights. This has raised a question mark on the objectives of these welfare institutions.

It is suggested that like other developing countries, a universal coverage/self-registration programme must be introduced in Pakistan so that all adult breadwinner Pakistanis may register themselves without exception.

By doing so, they and their families may get benefits of healthcare, education, scholarships, residential facilities, marriage grants, death grants and long-term EOBI pensions in case of any risk and unexpected circumstances.

Israr Ayoubi
Karachi

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2023