Labourers’ minimum wage fixed at Rs32,000

LAHORE: A minimum wage of Rs32,000 per month has been fixed for not just all labourers and workers employed in industrial and commercial establishments across Punjab but also for domestic workers employed in all households of Punjab.

The Punjab government issued a notification to this effect on Tuesday. In order to ensure provision of minimum wages to unskilled daily wage workers, the notification has specifically clarified that the wages for eight hours of work per day shall be Rs1,230.77 and Rs32,000 per month for 26 working days.

This notification will come into force with immediate effect. The employers shall be allowed deduction of Rs397 per month for providing housing accommodation and Rs85 per month for providing transport facility.

The Minimum Wages Board had sent the draft to all concerned to raise the minimum wages of workers to Rs32,000 for suggestions and recommendations in April, 2023. On August 26, caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi decided to put the proposal of making the minimum wage of workers 32,000 in the cabinet meeting.

Measures to control environmental pollution discussed

Secretary Industry and Trade Ehsan Bhutta in a meeting with a delegation of the World Bank in his office discussed the issues of air quality management, air pollution and measures taken to control environmental pollution and World Bank support to address these issues.

The meeting also reviewed the proposal of the Department of Environmental Protection to upgrade industrial data and share it with the World Bank team.

The meeting also considered various proposals to control the increasing air pollution and discussed the proposed measures to control the smog. The Industry and Trade department assured the World Bank team of full support.

Ehsan Bhutta talking to the delegation of the World Bank said that the industries should be funded on easy terms by using technology so that it adopts air pollution reducing technologies.

DG Industries Ayesha Hameed, Additional Secretary Majid Iqbal, MD PESIC Asim Javed and other officers were also present while the World Bank delegation included Chris Warner, Kaleem Anwar Mir, Ahmed Aslam Danish Ali Shafqatullah and others.