Pakistan

Workers’ groups in Pakistan are pushing the government to increase the country’s minimum wage to US$245 per month and implement stronger worker protections like mandatory appointment letters and more robust workplace inspection policies. The push was made at a recent conference in Hyderabad organized by the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) where laborers also spoke out against labor contracts and hiring through third-party organizations. Pakistan’s current minimum wage sits at about US$124 per month. (Dawn)
 
Garment and textile exports from Pakistan reached US$10.207 billion between July 2014 and March 2015, according to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. In terms of specific sectors, knitwear exports grew by 7.54% year-on-year during the period while exports of non-knit readymade garments grew by 8.51%. The increase in the amount of finished garments over the exports of cotton, yarn, and fabric is seen as a positive indicator for Pakistan’s value-added textile industry. (Fibre2Fashion)