An interactive discussion about the significance of living wages in Pakistan was hosted by Unilever Pakistan. The discussion centered on the advantages of fair pay and living wages for the nation’s economy, communities, and workplaces. A living wage takes into account a person’s various lifestyle requirements in accordance with their current financial situation so they can maintain a respectable standard of living for themselves and their families. The costs of healthcare, housing, food, education, utilities, and emergency funds are all taken into account when determining a living wage for an average household.
Industry leaders and organizations that have taken on the mission of giving better livelihoods to their workers in Pakistan were present at the round table. Senior executives from the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry (OICCI), Rozee.pk, Naya Jeevan and ABHI joined leaders from Jazz, Bank Alfalah, Careem, and Foodpanda in the strategic alliance as active enablers for the living wage mission. In their efforts to ensure the socioeconomic advancement and financial security of their own workforce and associated workforce, each organization brought its own distinct perspective and experiences to the table. Shahzad Roy, a well-known social activist, and Habib Paracha, a renowned economist, were also present at the discussion.
Participants had a forum to discuss their struggles and successes as well as potential avenues for group action during the dialogue session. While the company’s directly employed employees are already well above the living wage, Unilever Pakistan, the strategic alliance’s enabler, has further shifted 60% of its outer core, which includes an indirect workforce of more than 12,000 people in their business value chain, to an average living wage of PKR 52,000 with the goal of transitioning the remaining 40% by 2025.
“At Unilever, we firmly believe that living wages are crucial for people and businesses, and our vision under ‘Unilever for Pakistan’ is to make living wages a national benchmark,” said Amir Paracha, CEO of Unilever Pakistan, in a statement that he shared. We are honored to unite organizations dedicated to enhancing the lives and livelihoods of workers across Pakistan through fair wages and who share similar values.
Jazz’s CEO, Aamir Ibrahim, stated that despite the company’s difficulties, the organization prioritizes employee well-being because it believes in fairness and equity in the workplace.
He added that Jazz recently offered our frontline and contractual employees who fell into a specific salary range a one-time inflation adjustment payout of up to PKR 50,000. Additionally, he said, “We increased the salaries of our support and technical staff by double digits, and we set the minimum wage for our permanent employees at PKR 62,000.
Faisal Khan, Group Head HR & Learning Bank Alfalah, stated that “At Bank Alfalah, we are making groundbreaking efforts to streamline and enhance the working environment while empowering employees by promoting comprehensive Employee Benefits Policies such as benchmarking living wage and increasing the retirement age to 65.”
Imran Saleem, General Manager of Ride-Hailing at Careem Pakistan, expressed his appreciation for the work by saying, “Careem’s purpose is to simplify and improve people’s lives in the region. Making opportunities for everyone to earn an income goes hand in hand with this goal. Along with maintaining fair living wages for our coworkers, we have been fortunate to be able to offer 820,000+ Captains a way to make a good living. I am happy to see that like-minded organizations are working to implement a similar mission to provide fair living wages within their ecosystem.
“At Foodpanda, we are proud of the initiatives we have taken to support our riders and ensure they earn above the minimum wage,” said Muntaqa Peracha, CEO of the company. To reward them for their efforts, we offer a clear payment system, the required tools, and incentive and reward programs. We are still dedicated to helping our riders and improving their lives, which enables us to provide top-notch service to our clients and maintain our position as a premier food delivery platform.
The dialogue session took place right after Labor Day and in the midst of a difficult socioeconomic environment, which made it crucial. It presented a chance for business leaders to network, share knowledge, and work together to create a society that is more prosperous, sustainable, and inclusive. Unilever Pakistan understands that economic growth is only inclusive and sustainable when workers receive fair wages, in line with its global goal of “Fairer pay for a fairer world.” Through this strategic alliance, partner organizations will be better able to draw from one another’s experiences and advance national living wage standards.
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