ISLAMABAD: The lawmakers have passed the Minimum Wages for Unskilled Workers (Amendment) Bill 2015.
After approval of amendment by the National Assembly, the workers monthly pay would be increased from Rs 12,000 to Rs 13,000.
Parliamentary Secretary for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development moved the bill in the House to amend the Minimum Wages for Unskilled Workers Ordinance, 1969 in its application to the Islamabad Capital Territory.
Terming Rs 1000 increase in the minimum wages peanut, lawmakers Dr Nafeesa Shah, Dr Shireen Mazari, Ghulam Sarwar, Sahibzada Tariq Ullah, Dr Arif Alvi, Shahida Rehmani and Naeema Kishwar that the wages should be raised to Rs 18,000 per month as it was very meagre keeping in view the existing inflation. They also called for implementation of the minimum wages in letter and spirit.
The Parliamentary Secretary moved amendment in clause 2 of the bill which was incorporated. The Statement of objects and reasons of the bill says, the provincial governments in their budgets for the year 2013-14 have enhanced the rates of minimum wages for unskilled workers from Rs 8,000 per month to Rs 10,000 from July 1, 2013.
The Provincial Governments have also issued notification to increase minimum wages from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000. The Finance Minister in his budget speech 2014-15 has also announced that the minimum wages would be increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 per month for welfare of labour class w.e.f 1st July, 2014.
The minimum wages notified by the Provincial Governments under the Minimum Wages Ordinance, 1969 is applicable to a very small segment of the workers, working in industrial establishments given in the notification, while the minimum wages provided in the schedule of the Minimum Wages for Unskilled Workers Ordinance, 1969 is applicable to all industrial establishments.
Meanwhile, State Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination laid the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015 (No. XI of 2015) before the House as required by clause (3B) of Article 160 of the Constitution.
Similarly, Parliamentary Secretary for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Rana Afzal laid the report on 1st Biannual Monitoring on the implementation of 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) Award (July-December, 2014).
