Maryam orders Rs37,000 minimum wage for workers, approves welfare projwects

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has instructed the relevant authorities to ensure that all workers in the province are paid a minimum wage of at least Rs37,000 per month.

Chairing a special meeting focused on the welfare of workers, she stated that no worker should go hungry or face undue hardship. “No worker should sleep hungry; no one should suffer or be troubled,” she said, stressing her commitment to improving the living standards of the labour force.

During the meeting, CM Maryam Nawaz also highlighted the government’s initiative to provide better educational opportunities for the children of workers, particularly those showing exceptional talent. “We are providing better opportunities for higher education to talented children of workers,” she added.

The CM directed the authorities concerned to amend labour laws to further protect and promote the welfare of workers. “Hardworking people are friends of Allah, and we cannot afford to anger them,” she remarked, reaffirming her determination to make Punjab an exemplary province for workers. “Wages, medical treatment, better employment, and shelter are the government’s responsibilities.”

In addition, CM Maryam Nawaz approved several key projects for welfare of workers in the province. She called on Provincial Labour Minister Faisal Ayub Khokhar to submit a comprehensive plan for these initiatives. Among the approved projects were plans to establish labour colonies and to overhaul the province’s social security hospitals.

To further improve healthcare access, the CM announced the establishment of Maryam Nawaz Wellness Centres in Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad, designed for the pre-screening of workers. She added that patients requiring more specialised treatment would be referred to larger hospitals after initial screening.

Additionally, the CM approved the construction of a 200-bed Rehmatul-lil-Alameen Cardiology Centre on Lahore’s Defence Road, dedicated to providing medical care to workers. She also sanctioned the construction of a new 50-bed Social Security Hospital in Rahim Yar Khan to meet the healthcare needs of workers in the region.