An International Labour Organization (ILO) delegation led by Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo met with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif welcomed the ILO delegation.
The meeting focused on the welfare and well-being of labourers and workers.
Maryam Nawaz briefed the delegation on Punjab’s historic initiatives and projects for industrial workers.
Detailed discussions were held regarding worker welfare, ration cards, labour laws, and labour colonies.
The ILO Director-General commended Chief Minister for the initiative to provide ration cards to labourers and workers in the province.
The ILO DG appreciated the initiative to allot apartments to industrial workers in Punjab.
The ILO DG congratulated Maryam Nawaz Sharif on receiving the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award and paid tribute to her.
Maryam Nawaz said under the Labour Code 2026, efforts are being made to ensure an increase in the minimum wage, the formal registration of labourers, and the strict implementation of labour laws.
She said special helplines and rehabilitation centers are being established to eliminate child labour in the province.
The Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (PESSI) is striving to provide excellent healthcare facilities to workers and their families, Maryam Nawaz added.
Punjab Labour Code in the province following provincial cabinet approval implemented in 2026, Maryam Nawaz said.
She said measures regarding the enforcement of labour laws and the provision of social security coverage, housing, and quality education for workers’ children are yielding fruitful results.
Over 70,000 cases of forced child labour were identified in the province; efforts to eliminate child labour resulted in 3,644 children being sent to school, Maryam Nawaz.
She said payment of the minimum wage was ensured for 4.9 million workers over the past three years, and 752 FIRs were registered against violators.
To review compliance with occupational safety and health laws, 42,858 inspections were conducted and 22,547 advisory notices were issued, Maryam Nawaz said.
She said 1.2 million industrial workers in Punjab have received benefits worth Rs3.7 billion through the Maryam Nawaz Ration Card.
Efforts to regulate wages and curb child labour in Punjab are being carried out under the Labour Information Management System (LIMS), Maryam Nawaz said.
She said the Labour Information Management System focuses on enforcing minimum wage laws, eliminating child labour, and ensuring occupational safety and health (OSH).
The Labour Information Management System has ensured immediate coordination between labour inspectors and Rescue 1122 in the event of industrial accidents, Maryam Nawaz said.
She said the Labour Department’s helpline (1314) is operational 24/7 to ensure the safety of industrial workers’ lives and well-being.
New centers dedicated to the occupational health and safety of workers are being established in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, and Rahim Yar Khan, Maryam Nawaz, said.
Pakistan’s first Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) laboratory will be established in Lahore this year, while the OSH lab in Faisalabad will be completed by the end of the year, Maryam Nawaz said.
She said to increase women’s participation in private factories and offices, 577 day-care centers are being set up under the Directorate General of Labour Welfare
Labour market research cells and employment facilitation centers will be established in Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan, and Rawalpindi over the next two years, Maryam Nawaz said.
She said the Punjab government is committed to assisting employers in complying with labour laws.
We seek the ILO’s assistance to incorporate global labour standards into economic development and supply chains, Maryam Nawaz said.
ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo appreciated the significant increase in workers’ welfare grants.
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