Punjab government is considering to revive labour inspection law in order to protect the rights of labourers at large. Director Labour Welfare Punjab Humayun Mazhar Sheikh told Business Recorder that the Punjab Cabinet is set to consider a summary in this regard, aiming at revival of labour inspection law with relevant precautions.
It may be noted that the government of Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had amended labour laws, prohibiting labour inspectors to visit factories premises after an assurance from industrialists for submitting all details of the factory.
General Secretary Muttahida Labour Front Punjab Muhammad Hanif Ramay said 90 percent of the labourers were not getting minimum wage of Rs 7000, as announced by the Prime Minister last year. Ramay said only 145 factory owners had submitted declarations last year, which has reduced further recently, as no one is interested in co-operation with the labour department on the welfare of the labourers. He said the plight of women workers is more awful. According to him, as many as 100,000 women workers are working with factories only in district Lahore.