Action launched against Hattar factories for violating labour laws

Fri, March 08, 2019

HARIPUR: The labour department has begun action against over 200 Hattar Industrial Estate factories for violating labour laws.

According to deputy director (labour) Hazara division Faizullah Khan, the Minimum Wage Act binds every industrialist and private service provider to pay the minimum wage of Rs15,000 to all unskilled workers every month.

They’re also responsible for registering workers with the labour department, issuing them letters of appointment, and providing them with occupational safety.

He, however, said many Hattar Industrial Estate factories violated those laws.

Mr Faizullah said he had conducted surprise visits to more than 200 industrial units of the estate during the last two months and found them to be violating the Minimum Wage Act by paying from Rs10,000 to Rs13,000 every month to workers and denying them safe workplace and healthcare.

Official asks workers to report low wages, denial of appointment letters, facilities

He said he had registered cases against those industrial units and recommended action against them to the labour court, which imposed the Rs1.8 million fine on 61 lawbreakers, while cases against 139 others were at the stage of trial.

The official said 51 such cases were decided during the last one month, while his office imposed Rs3.63 million fine and recovered Rs1.35 million from 95 industries before paying that amount to the workers, who had filed claims under the Payment of Wages Act.

He asked workers to contact his office over low payments, denial of salary by cheque, or non-provision of appointment letters and occupational health and security.

HELP AGAINST CRIME: Regional police officer of Hazara division Mohammad Ali Khan Babakhel on Wednesday urged prayer leaders, media, traders and common people to help check crimes for peace in the area.

He was addressing a reception hosted for him by Tehreek-i-Sooba Hazara leader Abdul Saboor Qureshi.

Mr Babakhel said peace was direly needed for a prosperous and enlightened society and that was possible only through effective check on crimes.

KILLED: A man on Wednesday allegedly killed his sister in a remote village of Khanpur tehsil here. The police said Naveeda Bibi, a 18-year-old resident of Bandha Makhniyal village, died after being shot at by elder brother, Abrar Ahmad, for unspecified reason.The police said they had begun investigation after registering a case.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2019

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