PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan, while stressing the need of a comprehensive strategy backed by a uniform legal and policy framework here on Sunday, directed to constitute a committee headed by the additional chief secretary with the representation of all concerned departments to come up with workable proposals protecting the basic rights of labourers.
He was chairing a meeting to review the overall progress of the labour department here the other day. Provincial Minister for Labour Shaukat Yousfzai, Additional Chief Secretary Shakil Qadir, Secretary Finance Atif Rehman, Principal Secretary to CM Shahab Ali Shah, secretary labour, and other concerned high ups attended the meeting.
The chief minister also directed the concerned high ups to expedite work on computerised data collection of labourers across the province and to work on drastic reforms in the affairs of labour department with special focus on Workers Welfare Board (WWB) in order to make it an effective body to ensure the protection of the basic rights of labourers.
The meeting was briefed about the steps taken for the welfare of labour community, fixation of minimum wages for them, progress on labourer’s data collection, matters related to the regularisation of the contract employees of WWB and other matters.
The provincial minister apprised the chief minister of the issues faced by labourers working in different types of mines due to the existence of various laws under different concerned departments.
The chief minister directed the high ups of the concerned departments to review the existing policies governing the matters of labourers and to come up with proposals for a single and inclusive policy under a single department in order to facilitate the labourers in an easy and better manner.
He remarked that the protection of the basic rights of labourers and their wellbeing was one of the top priorities his government, adding that the present provincial government is committed to protecting the rights of the labourers whereas result oriented steps are being taken for their welfare in this regard.
