Punjab Minister for Labour Raja Ashfaq Sarwar has said that 90 per cent of the problems of brick kilns workers are due to the non-availability of National Identity Cards (NICs) as most of them lack the social security cover and facilities.
Punjab government has decided to make national identity cards of this vulnerable section of society with the help of NADRA Punjab, he said.
He was presiding over the 5th meeting of Provincial Committee for Abolition of Bonded Labour, here on Wednesday.MPA Mian Muhammad Rafiq, Secretary Labour Nawazish Ali Khokhar, Commissioner PESSI Mansor Qadir, representatives of ILO, brick kilns owners and workers associations, NGOs and officers from different departments attended the meeting.
The meeting was informed that under the recently issued ordinance for the elimination of child labour from brick kilns, Punjab government had directed the brick kilns owners as well as labourers to bring their employment and advance contract in black and white so that advance payment (Paishgi) system should be discouraged.
The minister said that an integrated project worth Rs.5.2 billion had already been started all over the province to combat the worst form of child labour and restoration of affected families in first phase in ten districts i.e. Bahawalnagar, DG Khan, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Khanewal, Okara, Rahim Yar Khan, Sheikhupura and Sialkot.
The scope of the project will be extended to other districts of the province in the second and third phase. The meeting was informed that according to this project, legislation, capacity building, skill development for the brick kilns workers will be ensured.