ISLAMABAD, Oct 7: The government has doubled the compensation money for workers, who suffer permanent disability or die during the course of employment, from Rs100,000 to Rs200,000, federal labour minister Omar Asghar Khan told reporters at the PID auditorium on Sunday.
Amendments have been introduced to the Workmen Compensation Act 1923 in this regard. “This will help improve health and safety conditions at the workplace and also meet the rising cost of living,” the minister said.
He said facilities would be available to the workers and labourers as President Gen Pervez Musharraf had given his assent to the Mines Maternity Benefits Act, 1941, the Employees Social Security Ordinance, 1965, the Companies Profits Workers Participation Act, 1968, the Workers Welfare Fund Ordinance, 1971 and the Employees Old-Age Benefits Act, 1976.
After the amendments, the workers would be able to enjoy welfare facilities that include increase in compensation, enhanced scope of coverage of payment of wages act, self- assessment social security and old-age benefit schemes, re- categorization of workers, enlargement of scope of workers welfare fund ordinance and increase in minimum wage.
About the implementation of these laws, he assured that district tripartite committees, led by district Nazims, would be formed to ensure these laws are strictly adhered to.
A meeting of the Workers, Employers Bilateral Council of Pakistan (WEBCOP) has also been called on Oct 10 in this regard.
Under the enhanced scope of coverage of payment of wages act, he said: “All workers working in the industrial or commercial establishment, regardless of wage ceiling, shall have the right to seek remedy from the court of law in case of delayed or unauthorized deductions from wages. In this way, wages of all the workers have been protected.”
Earlier, the workers drawing wages up to Rs3,000 per month were entitled to seek remedy through litigation.
Similarly, the minister said, the self-assessment social security scheme had been introduced to make the employer liable to pay a maximum contribution of Rs350 per month per secured worker.
Workers under the social security scheme as well as old-age benefits scheme would also be required to contribute Rs20 per month.
The staff of Employees Old-Age Benefit Institution (EOBI) and Employees Social Security Institutions (ESSIs), will not visit any establishment of an employer for a period of two years who opts for the self-assessment social security and old-age benefit schemes,
Mr Khan said the companies profit (Workers Participation Act 1962) had been amended to increase the upper wage ceiling from Rs3,000 to Rs5,000 for extending the coverage of the law to workers in this wage group. Besides, workers entitlement/share in the profit has been enhanced from Rs3,000 to Rs6,000 by making three categories.
Workers drawing average monthly wages not exceeding Rs2,200 will come under category I; workers drawing average monthly wages not exceeding Rs3,200 will fall under category II; while workers drawing average monthly wages not exceeding Rs5,000 will come under category III.
About the enlargement of the scope of Workers Welfare Fund Ordinance, 1971, the minister said the amending ordinance had broadened the scope of the law for utilization of the fund on financing of welfare measures including education, training, and apprenticeship, besides providing residential facilities as at present.
The scholarships for education in FA/FSc, BA/BSc and MA/MSc have been increased from Rs3,500 to Rs5,000 per annum purely on merit. Similarly, the amount of scholarships has also been increased from Rs700 to Rs2,500 per student.