Industrial workers: ‘Automated online system for approval of Social Security grants is being launched’

FAISALABAD: The Secretary Labour & Human Resource Department Punjab Faisal Farid has said that an automated online system for approval of Social Security grants to industrial workers is being launched to save them from procedural delays. A burn center will also be established in Faisalabad during this month.

He was addressing a meeting at Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) here on Thursday. Director Labour (East) Rai Yaseen and Director Labour (West) Ghulam Shabir Kaliyar was also present in the meeting.

The Secretary Labour & Human Resource Department Punjab pledged to do whatever possible to safeguard the rights of industrial workers in the province. Following the vision, a transparent and automated system for expeditious approval of workers’ applications for PESSI grants has been established and is expected to be launched during next week, he informed and added that in order to ensure transparency, several filters have been added in this system.

Furthermore, medical dispensaries at different industrial clusters of Faisalabad are being activated to provide better health facilities to the industrial workers nearby their work places.

He informed that a state of the art burn center will also be operational in coming month at Faisalabad. Answering the question about skill development, he emphasized that industry should collaborate together in terms of technology integration and decide the set of skills they need to develop. Once such an exemplary framework is formed, the Government will be happy to provide technical and financial support in this regard.

He suggested the industries to step towards self-assessment and sampling in respect of labour and social standards. He noted the critical role that the industrial sector played in the development of the economy and pledged to address the problems on priority basis.

Earlier, the Vice Chairman PTEA Muhammad Idrees briefly enlighten the core functions of the Association especially the efforts done to improve the application of International Labour Standards and ensure continuity of Pakistan’s exports to the global market.

He briefed that several programmes have been initiated in collaboration with international institutions like ILO, GIZ & WWF.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023