Overview
- Gilbert F. Houngbo, who met Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Thursday, commended Punjab’s worker-welfare measures and urged employers and workers to deepen social dialogue.
- Punjab officials said the Punjab Labour Code 2026 has been enforced and reported expanded compliance work including inspections, FIRs and worker registration to raise minimum-wage coverage.
- The provincial government told the ILO delegation it disbursed Rs3.7 billion to 1.2 million industrial workers under the Maryam Nawaz Ration Card programme and has removed over 70,000 children from forced labour.
- Officials described upgrades to occupational safety and health that include new OSH centres, Pakistan’s first OSH laboratory in Lahore, and a Labour Information Management System linked with Rescue 1122 for faster accident response.
- Punjab requested ILO technical support to align its labour code and supply chains with international standards, a step that could shape enforcement, skills training and private-sector practices in the province.