Amending acts, ordinances under devolution plan: Sindh Labour Department completes homework

The Sindh Labour Department has completed its homework in order to amend 19 Acts and Ordinances to get control of wings, functions of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Manpower, which is scheduled to be devolved on June 30, Business Recorder learnt on Monday.
The 18th Amendment Implementation Commission decided to implement third and fourth phases of devolution plan together and completed the devolution of ministries and their functions and wings to the provinces by June 30, 2011.
According to the sources, the Labour department has proposed amendments in 19 Acts and Ordinances of Federal Ministry of Labour and Manpower including Industrial relations (Revival and amendment) Act 2010, factories Act 1934, shops and establishments Ordinance 1969, Employment of Children Act 1991, Standing Orders ordinance 1968, Workmen Compensation Act 1923, Minimum Wages Ordinance 1961, Minimum Wages Ordinance for unskilled persons 1969, Payment of Wages Act 1936, Bonded Labour Act 1992, Road Transport Workers Ordinance 1961, Employees cost of Living (Relief) Act 1973, Workers Welfare Fund Act, Employees Old Age benefits Institution Act, National Training Ordinance 1980, Apprenticeship Ordinance 1962 amended 2002, Workers Children Education Ordinance (XI of 1972) and Fee Charging Employment (regulations) Act 1976.
After the approval of Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, a few days back, the Labour department forwarded proposed amendments in Acts and Ordinances to the Law Department. When the Labour and Manpower Ministry would be devolved, proposed amendments would be tabled in the Sindh Assembly for the approval, sources said.
Not only Acts and Ordinances would be amended but the labour department would also get administrative and financial control of offices, staff, funds and other items of Central Inspectorate of Mines (CIM), Directorate of Dock Workers Safety (DDWS), Directorate of Workers Education (DWE), Implementation Tribunal for Newspaper employees (ITNE), Labour Market Information System and Analysis Unit (LMISAU), National Institute of Labour Administration Training (NILAT), National Talent Pool (NTP), National Training Bureau (NTB), Pakistan Manpower Institute (PMI), Workers Welfare Fund (WWF), Employees Old Age benefits Institution (EOBI), Workers Participation Fund (WPF), Bureau of Immigration (BoI), National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC) and Skill Development Council (SDC), sources further told.
With the devolution, authorities and functions of manpower portfolio would also be added in Sindh Labour department, sources added. It is pertinent to mention that the Federal Ministry of Health, Interior, Environment, Sports, Women Development, Law and Parliamentary affairs and few other ministries would be devolved alongwith Labour and Manpower, according to the announcement of 18th Amendment Implementation Commission.