Govt urged to ensure minimum wage payment

PESHAWAR: Speakers at a workshop on Monday asked the federal government to ensure implementation of the minimum wage payment and give rights to labourers to form unions.

The demand was made during a daylong workshop arranged by the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research. The prime objective of the session was to hold a meaningful discussion among members of the civil society and other stakeholders on the agreements between the generalized scheme of references (GSP) plus and Pakistan. Member of Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research Shujauddin, civil society members Taimur Khan, Dr Sarfaraz, Deputy Director Directorate General Law and Human Rights Sikandar Khan, Members Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Naeema Kishwar and Asia Khattak were present. The participants said that Pakistan was signatory to GSP plus and other 37 conventions regarding non-violence, forced laboring, freedom of expression, laborers, environment and social compliance etc. They said that though laws were enacted for the rights of labourers and Pakistan has singed other various international conventions in this regard but these laws were not implemented.

They said that majority of factories and other private sectors did not pay minimum wage fixed by the federal government and factory labourers were not allowed to set up their unions.