KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced on Monday to distribute Rs500 million among labourers in the form of marriage, death and education grants.

Addressing an event held to commemorate Labour Day at CM House, the chief minister said Rs 1 billion have been planned for labourers by the Workers Welfare Board.

"The remaining Rs500 million are in the pipeline and will be distributed by this year among labourers," he maintained. "In fact this event has not been held just to mark Labour Day, but to carry out the first phase of distribution of the amount."

He pointed out the Pakistan Peoples Party has passed 13 laws for labourers in five years, including a safety and health policy. A draft labour policy is in its last stages, the chief minister said.

PPP has always worked for labour rights: Bilawal 

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Also present on the occasion, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said the incumbent federal government does not care about the rights of labourers. These are the leaders who have looted the public and made off-shore companies and accounts, he added.

Bilawal lamented that institutions like the Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution and Workers Welfare Board are not properly empowered.

"Our provincial government wants to solve these issues but the federal government is using delaying tactics," he said.

Bilawal also spoke about labour courts, saying the purpose they were made for was not being fulfilled.

"These courts are not helping the labourers get their rights," he said. "We request the federal federal government to make labour courts effective with the cooperation of Sindh High Court."

Bilawal added that Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had always worked for farmers, labourers and the youth.

"He became the voice of the labourers and brought about reforms in the country," the PPP chairperson said. "No one can separate PPP from labourers."