In the midst of Pakistan’s extreme inflation, the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) has started a campaign to pledge parity for the minimum wage and living expenses in order to alleviate poverty.
The RBA is a coalition of individuals, small businesses, and large corporations working to raise the standard of living for Pakistan’s workforce by promoting a higher minimum wage that is more in line with current cost-of-living standards.
According to recent findings in Pakistan, the minimum wage only covers 68 percent of the estimated actual living costs for a typical family, leaving nearly a quarter of the population in poverty. Low wages coupled with the increase in costs of petrol, electricity units, transport and food are leading low-income workers and their families to become marginalized, with little-to-no access to the resources needed to live a full, productive life. This creates a vicious cycle of food insecurity and hunger, which results in a lack of strength and energy required for work; the immune system weakens, making underprivileged workers more susceptible to illness, causing them to miss work and fall further below the poverty line.
In this critical situation, the RBA’s movement is inviting people to become agents of change for our country’s workforce by pledging to raise monthly minimum wage to Rs50,000 and a significant number of people have responded positively by becoming Responsible Business Alliance member.
On this occasion, a senior RBA official said: “Employee happiness leads to increased productivity and quality. By implementing a minimum wage of Rs 50,000/month, RBA members not only help their hardworking employees earn a living wage, but they also benefit from a more productive, committed, and happier workforce. Members of the RBA are already reaping the benefits. Take the pledge and join the other RBA members in helping to eradicate poverty in Pakistan.” Individuals can also join this movement by making a pledge on the RBA’s official website www.responsiblebusinessalliance.pk.
