Labourers have slammed the government severely for not increasing their minimum wages in the budget 2011-12, demanding raise as per the ratio of inflation. The ratio of inflation in the country was 14.5 per cent at present and the minimum wages announced by the government in the Labour Policy 2010 were Rs 7,000 per month. Tariq Chaudhry, a leader of Peoples’ Labour Bureau, an organisation of labourers affiliated with Pakistan People’s Party, said Sunday though the government had announced 15 per cent increase in the salaries of the government employees, a large number of workers working in the private sector had been left at the mercy of the entrepreneurs and employers.
“We understand that the country is facing the economy crunch, but it is also affecting the poor people as well. The government should have increased minimum wages at the ratio of price hike in the country”, Chaudhry said. He added the 18th Amendment had complicated the issue and now it was being said that the labour ministry was being devolved and the provinces would have the powers to formulate labour policy. He contended there should be a centralised policy regarding the wages and labour welfare issues. Yasin Chaudhry, a leader of CDA workers, when contacted, said inflation was at the level of 14.5 per cent. He added there should a mechanism to increase the salaries of labourers as per inflation in the country.