Islamabad [Pakistan] July 29 : The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called for the minimum wage to be set at PKR (Pakistani Rupees) 75,000 and for labour laws to be enforced effectively to benefit both salaried workers and daily wage earners, according to a report by Dawn.
This demand was made by HRCP leaders and other speakers during an event that took place on Monday, which included a screening of a documentary titled 'The right to a living wage'. The event was part of an awareness campaign initiated by the HRCP and was attended by advocates for labour rights.
During their addresses, representatives from HRCP expressed that the current minimum wage is insufficient for workers to cover their basic needs. They argued for an increase to PKR 75,000, highlighting that a family of five struggles to meet its monthly necessities for nutrition, education, and healthcare with a lower amount, as reported by Dawn.
HRCP's coordinator for Hyderabad, Ghufrana Arain, stated that a decree setting the minimum wage at PKR 75,000 should be applicable across all industries. She pointed out that inflation is rising daily while the salaried population suffers under the circumstances dictated by financial institutions. She expressed her disappointment that government officials had already raised their salaries and benefits by 600 per cent, whereas workers are denied even the most basic living wage. She also noted that capitalists and the elite were receiving substantial benefits, according to Dawn.
She further explained that lower-level employees were informed their pay could not be increased due to the stipulations imposed by international financial organisations.
Advocate Mir Ahmed Mangrio remarked that the federal government's policies were designed to undermine the rights of provincial governments. He indicated that labourers from other provinces were being employed by the private sector in Sindh, while residents were denied job opportunities. He added that rising prices were not being controlled as the government seemed indifferent to their effects on low-income households.
He also stated that the government showed no interest in enforcing the minimum wage regulations. He remarked that a minimum wage of PKR 40,000 was insufficient given the current economic circumstances, as revealed in the Dawn report.
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