Minister for Labour Raja Ashfaq Sarwar said on Wednesday that 0.85 million workers and 5.5 million members of the labourers’ families were being provided free medical facilities through Social Security hospitals and dispensaries. He said 18,000 children of labourers were getting free education through the Labour Department.
He said 2,300 children of industrial workers were being sponsored by the government for higher education. The minister was addressing a delegation of the European Parliament at Social Security Headquarters. He said 7,815 children of kiln workers had benefitted from informal education and 1,000 kiln workers educated through an adult education programme. He said issues pertaining to labour had been devolved to provinces and they are now empowered to deal with labour laws and policies. Ana Gomes, who led the EU delegation, commended the welfare projects initiated by the government.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2013.