The Sindh Assembly on Monday passed 'Sindh Minimum Wage Bill 2015' to fix labourers' remuneration, special relief allowances and assess their cost of living. The law received a unanimous vote in the house, allowing the Sindh government to regulate all matters related to the labourers work, allowances and their living standards.
"In view of the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the subject 'labour' has been devolved to the Provinces," the law's statement of objects and reasons said, adding that the regulation of labourers' wages, cost of living and special relief needed a legislation on a provincial level.
The minimum wage, which the government time to time notifies including the basic pay and statutory allowances - cost of living and dearness payments, besides adhoc relief. A person performing duties in industrial and commercial sectors with skilled, unskilled, intellectual, technical, clerical, manual abilities or doing other jobs and an apprentice, will be called a 'worker' to fall in wages categories.
The government with the law passage will set up a minimum wage board that will have representation from employers, workers and trade and industry. However, the government will appoint the board chairperson. The board will recommend time to time wage rates in different workers categories to the government. Any employer found paying lower wages than the officially fixed rates will be sent behind the bars for maximum six months or fined with maximum Rs50, 000 or he may receive the both. However, the workers can receive higher wages than the officially notified rates. The law also has a clause for the employers to appeal in the labor court in thirty days.
"No discrimination shall be made on the basis of sex, religion, political affiliation, sect, colour, caste, creed, ethnic background, in considering and disposing of issues relating to the enforcement of this Act," the law says.
With the law passage, now Minimum Wages Ordinance 1961, the Minimum Wages for Unskilled Workers Ordinance 1969, the Employees, Cost of Living Allowance (Relief) Act, 1973, The Sindh Employees Special Relief 1986 and the Sindh (Payment of Dearness Allowance to Certain Employees) Act, 1991 stand repealed.
Three other bills including the Sindh Allied Health Professional Council bill 2014, The Sindh Bonded Labour System (Abolition) 2015 and The Sindh Workers Companies Profits (Workers' Participation) Bill 2015 were referred to the assembly's concerned standing committees. The committees will present their reports in the house within two weeks.
The house descended into a chaos after the opposition protested over the children killings in Thar from starvation and displacement of residents from houses, which the Sindh government demolished a few days back to make space for car parking. The house stands adjourned till Tuesday morning.