KARACHI: The Sindh Wage Board has sought time from the Sindh High Court (SHC) to submit a written reply on a petition challenging Rs25,000 minimum wage fixed by the provincial government in the budget of current fiscal.

The petition, which was filed by the Employers Federation of Pakistan and others, is being heard by a division bench of the SHC which in the hearing a few days ago had ordered Secretary Labour & Human Resource Department and Secretary Minimum Wage Board of Sindh to submit their replies in the petition.

In today’s hearing, representative of Wage Board sought time for submitting a written reply in the petition, which was granted.

The petitioners submitted that the Sindh government announced increasing salary from Rs17,500 to Rs25,000 per month without initiating statutory requirements as contained in the Sindh Minimum Wages Act.

They submitted that impugned notification was a complete violation of the

provisions of the Minimum Wages Act 2015 and in excess of jurisdiction and said the government, instead of considering employers’ offer, issued the impugned notification by fixing the enhanced wages, while the secretary labour did not send a reference to the board proposing Rs25,000 per month as the minimum wage.

Furthermore, the increase in the minimum wages announced by the federal government and other provinces was much less than the one announced by the Sindh government.

They termed 43pc increase in minimum wage as irrational and without any legal basis and said it will have a consequential effect in terms of variable cost on account of allowances, leave, bonus and gratuity, etc.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021