Workers vulnerable without unions

Pakistan is a challenging location for workers who are the backbone of the economy. Despite the International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimating a living wage of Rs60,000 to 65,000, they typically earn only a fraction of this amount. Workers face life-threatening risks in factories, agriculture fields, construction sites and mines, and if they are fortunate enough to secure employment in an office, they must often endure humiliation. Beyond the assertions of workers and their leaders, even employers acknowledge the stark reality that the minimum wage — Rs30,000 to Rs35,000 in different provinces — which stands at half the amount required for a decent living, is far from universally held. Shockingly, only around 50 per cent of formal sector employers bother to adhere to these regulations.