HRCP Wants Minimum Wage Increased to Rs. 75,000

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called for setting the national minimum wage at Rs. 75,000, citing the growing struggles of the salaried class and daily wage earners due to rising inflation and inadequate wage protections.

The demand came during a program organised in Hyderabad on Monday as part of HRCP’s mobilisation campaign. The event, attended by labour rights activists, also featured a documentary screening titled “The Right to a Living Wage.”

Speakers at the event, including HRCP’s Hyderabad coordinator Ghufrana Arain, said the current minimum wage fails to support even the basic monthly needs of a five-member family. Arain stressed that Rs. 75,000 should be notified as the universal minimum wage across all sectors.

She criticised the widening gap between the elite and the working class, noting that government officials have raised their own salaries and perks by 600%, while workers continue to be deprived of a wage that meets their basic living standards.

Advocate Mir Ahmed Mangrio also addressed the gathering, accusing the federal government of undermining provincial rights through its labor policies. He claimed that private firms in Sindh are hiring workers from other provinces, sidelining locals from job opportunities.

Mangrio added that while the official minimum wage stands at Rs. 40,000, the government is doing little to enforce its implementation, leaving millions of low-income workers vulnerable amid a sharp rise in the cost of living.