KARACHI: Pakistan Yarn Merchants Association (PYMA) has expressed serious concerns over the Sindh government’s move to set a minimum wage of Rs 25,000 against the Rs20,000 wage announced in the federal budget.
They urged Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to fix the minimum wage in Sindh at Rs20,000 on an equal basis like the federation and other provinces to reduce the cost of businesses and industries.
In a statement, Hanif Lakhany, Senior Vice Chairman & VP, FPCCI, Farhan Ashrafi, Vice Chairman PYMA & Convener, FPCCI Yarn Trading Standing Committee, said that businesses and industries are already suffering from serious crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and are struggling to survive.
In the federal budget, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin had announced a minimum wage of Rs 20,000. Keeping this in mind, other provinces also set minimum wages but Sindh province announced a minimum wage of Rs25,000 instead. The PYMCA said this was contrary to the ground realities and by no means is applied to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the severe economic crisis.
“Sindh government’s decision to set a minimum wage of Rs 25,000 would affect those businesses and industries the most, who apart from other provinces, also do their business in Sindh and deploy their staff in the provinces from time to time. In such a scenario, how can those institutions afford to pay higher minimum wages in Sindh than other provinces under Transformation,” they said
The cited the example of Export Processing Zone (EPZ) and said that it is a federal institution whose employees work in different provinces and in Sindh.
“EPZ will pay Rs 20,000 announced by the federation, then how those businesses can pay Rs 25,000, who are working from Sindh in other provinces,” it added, urging the Sindh government to implement minimum wage Rs20,000 on equal basis.
They urged Sindh Chief Minister that keeping in view the ground realities like the federation and other provinces, the minimum wage in Sindh should be fixed at Rs 20,000, so that instead of increasing the production cost of businesses and industries, they can be helped to survive the coronavirus epidemic.
