Minimum wages of unskilled labourer raised to Rs 17500

• Minimum wage increases to Rs 17500
• New hospitals have been set up across Sindh
• Around Rs 52 million have been spent for health facilities

KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Information and Archives and Labour Saeed Ghani has said that the minimum wage of unskilled laborers had been increased from Rs 16200 to Rs 17500 this year which would apply to all factories, industrial zones.

The minister said this while addressing the question answer session of the Sindh Assembly on Monday, said a statement.

Saeed Ghani said that government would ensure the payment of fixed minimum wage to the workers and labourers.

He said that if the Sindh government received any information that the workers or labourers were being paid less than the salary fixed by the Sindh government, the government took action.

Saeed Ghani said that although it was not possible to go to every factory and shop to check whether the workers were being paid according to the salary fixed by the Sindh government, yet a prompt action was being taken if any complaint was received in this regard.

Responding to a question, the minister told the House that the wage board comprised the representatives of the labor unions and the owners, who keep on pressing the government that whenever it announced any increase in minimum wage, it notified the same without delay.

He said that through the labour unions, all employees were always aware of their minimum wages and in addition to that various seminars which were conducted under the Labour Department were the source of awareness for workers.

Saeed Ghani said that new hospitals had been set up under the Labour department across Sindh while the existing hospitals had been upgraded. Around Rs 52 million had been spent on the entire project, he added.

Saeed Ghani said that if an organization took more than eight hours of work from a laborer and did not pay for it, then it can be complained to the Labour department or Labour Board.

He told the Sindh Assembly that under the auspices of sub-section 3 of section 9 of the Labour Laws, such a complaint could carry a penalty of six months imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000.

Responding to a supplementary question, the provincial minister said that if a registered worker died during service,  then under the Workers Welfare Board rules, Rs 5 lakh were paid to his family.