Business communities show concerns over minimum wages issue in Sindh

KARACHI: Businessman Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig has discussed minimum wages issue with Sindh minister Saeed Ghani, telling him that the 43 percent increase is unbearable for the industries.

Reports said the businessman said the increase from Rs17,500 to Rs25,000 announced by the Sindh government in the fiscal budget of 2021-22, accumulated as 43 percent per month, which is not feasible as the industries have shown their concerns. He said the federal government has increased minimum wages from 17,500 to Rs20,000; Punjab increased the amount to Rs20,000 and KPK has also increased Rs21,000. He said the disparity would make the industries uncompetitive in Sindh that may result in closure or transfer of industries to other provinces, causing a new wave of unemployment in the province.

Dr Baig presented an analysis of labour cost in Bangladesh as $130 per month, Punjab Pakistan Rs20,000 ($214) and Sindh Pakistan Rs25,000 ($266), in addition to contribution to EOBI & SASSI. Meanwhile, the Minister for Labour Saeed Ghani assured Dr Ikhtiar Baig that Sindh government would find some desirable solution of the issue soon. S.M. Muneer, Zubair Tufail, Zafar Bakhtawari, Khalid Tawab, Sami Khan, Ishtiaq Baig, Umer Rehan, Saleem-uz-Zaman, Yasin Malik, Gulzar Firoz, Shakil Dhingra, Tariq Haleem and other business leaders were also present on the occasion.