KARACHI: A peaceful protest was organised by the unions of home-based workers and informal self-employed workers at the Sindh Employees’ Social Security Institution (SESSI) head office on 19th May against the non-issuance of social security cards.
Women home-based workers and informal workers’ unions from Sindh — including the Home-Based Bengal Workers Union (HBBWU), Zardozi Women Workers Union, United Home Workers Union, Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) and the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) — gathered in front of the SESSI head office.
Parveen Bano of the HBBWU said that SESSI had introduced a portal for workers’ registration years ago, on which many home-based women and self-employed workers had registered themselves. However, they have still not been issued social security cards.
She added that the amended Social Security Act of 2021 clearly defines the criteria for a qualified registered worker, but SESSI is using delaying tactics by shifting the responsibility to the Labour Directorate, which, she claimed, has no role in the process.
Another worker, Aqsa Kanwal, expressed her disappointment, saying that for years Sindh has been ruled by a party whose leaders are rightly called the daughters of the East, yet under their own government, women are being deprived of social security cards despite the law.
HBWWF President Saira Feroze assured the protesters that if social security cards are not issued to women domestic workers and others soon, the next protest would be held in front of the Chief Minister’s House and the Sindh Assembly.
Iqbal Abro, Himmat Phulpoto and Bilawal of the NTUF expressed hope that the protest would yield positive results and that members of the SESSI governing body would discuss this fundamental issue at relevant forums so that women domestic workers, self-employed workers and other informal workers are issued social security cards as per the law — enabling them to access basic services such as medical treatment.
Mehru Malik and Aini Yunus also spoke.
The SESSI governing body member Mukhtar Hussain Awan spoke to the protesters and assured them of all possible cooperation.
When the Minister for Labour, Shahid Abdul Salam Thahim — who also serves as chairman of the SESSI governing body — arrived at the head office, the protesters raised the issue of the non-issuance of social security cards to home-based workers and self-employed workers.
In response, SESSI Commissioner Miandad Rahoojo initially objected, stating that the matter should be dealt with by the Labour Directorate. However, following further objections from the participants, he revised his stance and said that if workers deposit their monthly contributions, they will be issued the cards.
It is worth mentioning here that there is no provision in the Social Security Act requiring such contributions and even if this claim were accepted as valid, why has the SESSI administration remained silent on the matter until now?
Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2025