Sindh Moves to End “Servant” Culture With New Law

News Desk 

Islamabad: Domestic workers in Sindh are set to receive legal recognition and workplace protections for the first time under a landmark welfare bill passed by the provincial assembly and sent to Governor Syed Muhammad Nehal Hashmi for final approval.

The Sindh Domestic Workers Welfare Bill seeks to formally regulate domestic employment by defining work hours, wages, leave policies and the rights of workers employed in households across the province.

In a major shift in official terminology, the proposed law replaces the word “servants” with “domestic workers,” aiming to recognize household employees as formal workers entitled to legal protection and dignity.

The legislation also introduces strict safeguards against child labour. Under the bill, children under the age of 16 cannot be employed as domestic workers under any circumstances. Teenagers between 16 and 18 years of age may only be assigned light duties that do not harm their health, education or overall development.

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/a-school-named-after-her-still-a-child-worker/

According to the proposed law, live-in and full-time domestic workers cannot be made to work more than eight hours a day or six days a week. 

Employers will be required to provide at least one weekly holiday, while anyone asked to work on the seventh day must receive double wages.

The bill further guarantees paid leave on religious occasions, including Eid holidays, and grants domestic workers 10 casual leaves and eight sick leaves annually with full salary.

Female domestic workers will also become entitled to six weeks of paid maternity leave under the new framework.

Another key provision makes it compulsory for employers to pay at least the minimum wage notified by the Sindh government, bringing domestic labour under formal wage protections for the first time in the province.

Once signed by the governor, the legislation will come into force immediately, marking a significant step toward formalizing domestic labour rights in Sindh.