‘Welfare bodies being run on workers’ contributions’

“Workers Welfare Board Sindh (WWBS), in the last two years, has not paid death grants, marriage grants and scholarships for workers’ siblings under welfare schemes,” a delegation of labor leaders informed the caretaker Sindh minister of Labor on Friday.

A five member delegation consisting of labor leaders of Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) met the caretaker Sindh Minister for Labor and Human Resources Simon John Daniel at his office on Friday. The delegation discussed issues faced by laborers with the caretaker minister.

The delegation informed the minister that 70 percent of the flats at Maymar Labour Colony had been allocated to workers but there was a scarcity of civic facilities including water, electricity and gas at the colony.

The delegation said that laborers had not demanded any fund from the Sindh government and Sindh Employees Social Security Institution (SESSI) and Workers Welfare Board Sindh (WWBS) were being run on workers’ contribution funds. The labor leaders demanded that the minister appoint officials interested in the welfare of workers as heads of SESSI and WWBS.

Caretaker minister told the delegation that he had directed the labor department, SESSI and WWBS administrations to computerize all record of registered workers.

He said that the centralization of data would help in making access of workers to welfare measures trouble free. The minister also told the delegation that he had directed SESSI administration to stop local purchase of medicine so as to provide quality medicine to workers at SESSI healthcare facilities.

Labour leaders appreciated the minister for taking interest in their matters. The delegation said that the interim minister was trying hard to provide some relief to workers. Members of the delegation that visited the minister included SITE Labor Forum Chairman Khawaja Mubasher Zubair, joint secretary Irshad Bhutto, National Trade Union (NTU) Vice President Aslam Tanoli, , Israr Ahmed of Kohinoor Employees Union and Gul Zameen Khan of SITE Union.

Published in Daily Times, July 7^th 2018.