Labour federation gives budget proposals

Islamabad : Giving budget proposals to the Government for the fiscal year 2020-21, the National Labour Federation (NLF) has demanded of the Prime Minister Imran Khan to fix minimum monthly wages for workers at Rs30,000.

“Minimum wage for unskilled worker and skilled worker may be fixed Rs30, 000 and Rs45,000 per month,” the NLF President Shamsur Rehman Swati in a letter addressed to the Prime Minister said.

The letter which contained budget proposals also suggests an enhancement of EOBI pension at Rs15,000 per month.

The NLF letter says that the proposals have been made keeping in view of crises being faced by the worker's community in the wake of spread of COVID-19.

The labour federation asked the government to do everything possible to cushion the knock-on effects on millions of people’s lives, their livelihoods and the real economy. “That means the direct provision of resources to support workers and households, provision of health and unemployment insurance, scale-up of social protection, and support to businesses to prevent bankruptcies and massive job losses,” the letter said.

The NLF while giving budget proposals also reminded the government that hundreds of millions of people could be left without work due to the impact of COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic is having a catastrophic effect on working hours, employment, and earnings.

The NLF President Shamsur Rehman Swati also demanded that registration with EOBI, Employees Security Institution (ESSI) and Workers Welfare Fund (WWF) for workers of formal and informal sectors must be ensured as a maximum of the workforce are not registered with these government institutions.

The letter also contained proposals for a reduction in administrative and unnecessary expenditures of WWB, EOBI, ESSI, and Labour Department for utilization for the purpose of Workers welfare.

The NLF also demanded the withdrawal of GST because it majorly affects the labourers of the country.

The Labour Federation also demanded job protection to all workforces particularly for informal sector and revision all the labour laws which were made before the independence of Pakistan.

The letter says the allowances of Government and public sector employees may be merged into their Basic pay then 50% enhancement is basic Pay is suggested.

The NLF also proposed that difference among pay scales 1 to 20 is a huge difference which is 1% to 100% which is open discrimination. It is proposed that this should be reduced from 1% to 7%.

The labour federation at the same time appreciated that the government has already started through Ehsas Programme a cash transfer of Rs12,000 per family for the quarter to 12 million households. An overall relief programme of Rs1,200 billion has been implemented by the federal government.