The Punjab Labor and Human Resource Department has launched a large-scale campaign across the province to ensure the implementation of the minimum wage and the Punjab Occupational Safety and Health Act 2019 (OSH Act) at workplaces.
According to Director Labor Welfare (Lahore South) Nadeem Akhtar, inspection teams of the department are conducting surprise visits to factories, workshops and other establishments where manual labor is carried out. The initiative aims to ensure fair wages and a safe working environment for laborers in line with the directives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and the labor minister.
Akhtar said no employer would be allowed to underpay workers or compromise workplace safety, adding that field officers had been instructed to maintain strict monitoring and take prompt action against violators.
Official data shows that from January to September 2025; a total of 1,330 factories were inspected under the campaign. Of these, 707 were found to be compliant with labor laws, while legal action was initiated against 623 units for violations including non-payment of the minimum wage, inadequate safety standards, and failure to provide protective equipment to workers.
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The OSH Act requires employers to ensure safe workplaces, proper ventilation, provision of safety gear, emergency preparedness, maintenance of accident registers, and training for workers, he noted.
He said inspections would continue in Lahore and other districts until full compliance was achieved. Public awareness activities and coordination with employers’ associations will also be expanded to encourage voluntary adherence to the law, he added.
