Pakistan, June 23 -- In the 2019-20 budget, the federal government and the provincial governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have raised the minimum wage for unskilled workers from Rs 15,000 to Rs 17,500 a month.

The government of Sindh has raised the minimum wage from Rs 16,200 to Rs 17,000 a month. The Punjab government had already set the minimum wage at Rs16,500 per month in March, this year. The law is inapplicable to the informal sector and the amount fixed too little.

Minimum wages, as defined by the International Labour Organization are, "The minimum amount of remuneration that an employer is required to pay wage earners for the work performed during a given period."

Minimum wages protect workers against unduly low p...