THE security guards employed by the security companies to provide services to various establishments are the lowest paid employees in the country. While the monthly minimum wage was fixed at Rs37,000 last year, the salaries of the guards range between Rs20,000 and Rs30,000. Besides, the guards are required to work a 12-hour shift every day seven days a week, not getting even a weekly day off. This is apathy at its peak.

As the guards struggle to bear their daily cost of living, most of them are compelled to seek free meals from the various social welfare organisations that run such roadside facilities. Security guards standing awaiting their turn in such queues is a common sight in Karachi.

According to a Supreme Court judgment, issued on April 30, 2019, the Shops and Establishments Ordinance, 1969, does not apply to the security guards. This law contains the provisions with regard to working hours, overtime payment and leave, etc. However, the judgment does not permit the employers to deprive the guards of fair wages and a weekly rest day.

While fixing the minimum wage and working hours of security guards, the government should be realistic and keep in view the prevailing practice to this effect instead of imposing its own will and aspiring for an idealistic scenario.

For instance, last year the commissioner of the IslamabadCapital Territory (ICT) fixed the monthly minimum wage of security guards at Rs47,000 for 12-hour shifts five days a week, allowing them two weekly rest days. It is quite obvious that this `ideal`order is never going to be implemented. A more realistic fixation of the minimum wage with one day`s weekly off will have a much better chance of getting implemented.

Parvez Rahim Karachit