Pessi assures Aptma of maximum facilitation to the workers

LAHORE: Commissioner Punjab Employees Social Security Institution (Pessi) Dr Syed Bilal Haider has assured the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) of extending all support and facilitation to the workers and their employees.

He was talking to the Aptma delegation headed by Aptma Chairman Abdul Rahim Nasir, and including Chairman Northern Zone Hamid Zaman, Senior Vice Chairman Kamran Arshad and Secretary General Raza Baqir.

The Pessi commissioner said that the Pessi is an autonomous body under the administrative control adopted by the Pessi, including self-assessment, withdrawing repeated visits by Pessi employees, selective audit through computerised selection and joint audits by Pessi, EOBI and Labour.

Haider briefed the delegation about different benefits being provided by the Pessi to the workers including medical coverage, and benefits of cash, sickness, injury, iddat, maternity, gratuity, along with disablement pension, survivor’s pension, artificial parts, funeral grant, financial assistance of the industrial workers, and free education of the secured workers’ children.

Speaking on the occasion, Aptma Chairman highlighted the problems being faced by the members regarding payment of outstanding contributions of Pessi and waiver of penalty.

Nasir proposed that the industry may be allowed to pay the past liabilities in easy installments, while also requesting for waiver from penalty as was extended by the Punjab government during the previous year.

He offered the umbrella of Aptma for resolution of pending issues with the Pessi through negotiations and mutual dialogue with the industry to avoid waste of time and energy in unnecessary litigation.

The Pessi commissioner assured to do his maximum for quick discharge of outstanding liability of Aptma members and all the other industrial sectors, willing to pay the outstanding dues.

On this occasion, Aptma North Chairman Hamid Zaman and Senior Vice Chairman Kamran Aptma Arshad apprised Pessi chairman about the role of the textile industry contributing to the national exchequer by earning precious foreign exchange through exports.

They said that Aptma is the premier textile industry representing diversified interests in all sub-sectors of the textile industry chain and exports and is fully supportive to the Pessi initiatives towards the betterment of the industrial workers.

The Aptma office bearers further expressed the hope that the Pessi chairman would respond to their submissions positively in the larger interest of the industry as well as the industrial workers.