Interim labour minister okays SESSI staff union’s charter of demand

karachi: Caretaker Minister for Labour & Human Resource Simon John Daniel on Friday announced approval for the SESSI (Sindh Employees Social Security Institution) staff union’s (CBA) charter of demand, which had been pending since July 2017.

He gave approval to the charge at a staff union ceremony organised to distribute permanent orders among 30 daily wage employees at the SESSI head office.

Commissioner SESSI Naseem ul Ghani Sahito, governing body member Wahid Shoro, Vice Commissioner Shah Muhammad Shah, President Staff Union Malik Naveed Khan and others attended.

The labour minister said that it was a matter of great pride for him that he was distributing permanent orders among 30 daily wages employees who had been serving since 2010, as well as giving approval to the charter of demand of staff union pending since July 2017.

He said that SESSI was an important institution of the labour department which was striving hard for the welfare of the workers. He lauded the efforts of the SESSI administration and advised all officials to continue work with the same spirit to bring about more improvements in service delivery to the workers.

As per the charter of demand, the Hajj quota has been increased to 12 employees per year, and the number of Hindu and Christian employees increased to three once a year for each community to be sent to their holy places in Pakistan and the amount has also been enhanced from Rs20,000 to Rs30,000 each. Children’s education allowance has been enhanced from Rs1,000 to Rs1,300 per month and will also be granted 30 scholarships. They will be given Rs1,500 for primary, Rs2,500 for secondary and Rs5,000 for higher secondary education per month.

The utility allowance has been upped from Rs1,000 to Rs1,300 per month, besides the introduction of a deceased quota, enhancement of the special allowance for certain employees, the amount of house rent advance has been increased from 11 months to 15 months and its installments will be deducted in 27 months instead of 22, the rates for outside treatment have been revised and it has been decided that private hospitals be taken on SESSI panel at Karachi, Hyderabad, Kotri and Sukkur, and heart and cancer patients be admitted through SESSI letters.

These facilities shall apply to the employees in respect of BS-1 to BS-15, including BS-16 (non-gazetted) with effect from July 1, 2017.

Speaking on occasion, SESSI Commissioner Naseem ul Ghani Sahito said that he had tried to make improvements in the institution and remained successful in getting approval for the Sindh Employees Social Security Amended Act 2018, wherein the employer and employees had been given equal 40 per cent representation each in SESSI, whereas the Sindh government’s representation had been reduced to 20 per cent.