By: Anwarzada Gulyar
The fundamental responsibility of the state is to enact laws that ensure the welfare of its people, ease their lives, and promote economic justice. Our government, too, frequently drafts laws and issues official notifications for their enforcement. Unfortunately, these measures often remain confined to paperwork, failing to deliver tangible benefits to the public.
A recent example is the announcement of a minimum monthly wage of forty thousand rupees. The government not only declared this decision but also issued a formal notification. On paper, it seemed like a welcome relief package for workers and low-income employees. Yet, the reality paints a starkly different picture. In factories, hotels, workshops, and private educational institutions, thousands of workers remain deprived of this right. Many employers continue to set wages at their discretion—often below the government’s stipulated minimum, and in some cases, insufficient to even cover basic necessities.
The critical question is: why are such laws not implemented? There are multiple factors. Chief among them is the absence of an effective monitoring system. Labor Department officials are either too few in number or rendered ineffective due to political pressure and corruption. On the other hand, the working class largely lacks awareness of their rights. Many laborers remain unaware of the legal provisions meant to protect them, while those who do know hesitate to raise their voices, fearing unemployment and poverty.
Private institutions, meanwhile, often justify paying low wages by citing financial constraints. But the stark reality remains: if a worker cannot even meet his fundamental needs, how can he contribute positively to society? Today, the worker’s pocket is empty, his household struggles to afford meals, and his children’s education has turned into an unattainable dream. In such circumstances, the government’s promise of a forty-thousand-rupee wage is nothing more than a decorative announcement, whose light never reaches the worker’s life.
The solution is clear: the government must move beyond announcements and ensure strict enforcement. The Labor Department needs to be made more active and accountable. Special committees should be formed in every district to inspect factories and private institutions, ensuring that workers are actually being paid the legally mandated wages. Employers who violate the law must face penalties and legal consequences. At the same time, labor unions should adopt a more proactive role in protecting workers’ rights through organized legal struggles.
If the government genuinely intends to provide relief to the working class, it must rise above cosmetic notifications. Only when a laborer is able to educate his children and provide his family with a dignified life can he play a meaningful role in national progress. Otherwise, laws and notifications will remain confined to files and headlines, while the darkness of poverty and deprivation continues to engulf the homes of the working class.
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