Study shows half of textile workers’ children are out of school.A fresh study conducted by the National Organisation for Working Communities-NOWCommunities has shown that roughly half of the children coming from textile supply chain workers of Karachi cannot afford to go to school despite two to three people of the family working full time. It shows that more than 80 percent of such workers themselves have some experience of formal education themselves but now their next generation may not have the same story.
The study was released by NOWCommunities’ Executive Director Farhat Parveen in a formal ceremony attended by stakeholders including many of the people who had participated in the survey. The study was conducted through a survey of over 300 representative families of textile supply chain workers. Of the sample, over 60 percent said two or three persons contributed in household expenses but still, the total household income of a majority-60 percent-hardly reached the legal minimum wage.
Most respondents reported earnings between PKR 31,000 and PKR 40,000, with progressively fewer respondents in higher income categories. Only a very small fraction reported earnings above PKR 50,000, indicating limited upward mobility within the current wage structure.
Forty thousand rupees is the minimum wage set by the Sindh government for 26 days of work per month for unskilled workers.
The data presents a detailed picture of workers navigating low incomes, insecure employment, limited benefits, and constrained living conditions, while simultaneously expressing clear expectations for improvement.
Although basic workplace facilities were found present in many cases, deeper structural issues persist, particularly in areas of job security, labor rights awareness, safety training, and worker representation. The gap between current conditions and worker expectations remains significant, reflecting both economic pressure and a strong desire for improved quality of life.
The NowCommunities study also shows that more than half of these people with eight to 11 persons in a family live in small 60 or 80 square yard houses. Over 61 percent live in two-room houses.