RAWALPINDI: Punjab Minister Labour and Human Resource Anser Mujaeed Niazi paid a visit to the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) here. He was accompanied by Commissioner Punjab Employees Social Security Institute (PESSI) Saqib Mannan and representatives from PESSI and ministry.
Addressing traders, he said, his ministry under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan working hard to deliver results within 100 days of its pledge. We do believe on human resources rather structural development.
Unlike previous governments, we ministers are giving presentations to PM about our ministry/department rather secretaries. Labour Policy 2015 has been reviewed and we discussed minimum wages, capacity building, labour laws for home base workers. We welcome RCCI suggestions and we will take one person from each chamber to implement the labour policy in its true letter and spirit.
We understand the challenges faced by employers and well aware of lack of facilities in Social Security hospitals. Commissioner PESSI will take due action if harassment is going on in the name of registration or surveys. We will make sure to protect the rights of workers and employers.
We have just 1 million registered workers which is very low keeping the population size and we expect to raise it to ten million. We are also working on evolving Worker welfare Fund (WWF)at province base since after 18th amendment EOBI has been dissolved and also roughly 123 billion rupees are pending with federal government under WWF and we trying to get them released to provinces. This will help us to provide better facilities for industrial workers including health, insurance and education.
Earlier RCCI president Malik Shahid Saleem briefed the minister on RCCI key initiatives and upcoming programs. He said that Chamber received lot of complaints from traders and industrialists that notices are being served them for arrears and noncompliance. He said under current crunch economic situation and uncertainty in businesses and markets it is very hard to show compliance to these notices. He demanded that notices must be served to unregistered units to increase the net rather harassing registered employers. RCCI president urged government to upgrade the medical facilities for workers in social security hospitals so that owners and employers can feel satisfaction for their taxes and money being deducted in the name of social security. Later minister visited PESSI and inaugurated the medical clinic being established with the collaboration of RCCI.
