The Delhi Government on Friday announced a slight increase in the minimum wages of workers across sectors, violating which will result in contractors getting “blacklisted” as per a recent decision by the Cabinet.
Announcing the hike, labour Minister Gopal Rai stated that the AAP Government is striving to make Delhi a “role model” in the field of labour welfare. “This increase in wages will not only neutralise the inflation rate but also provide succour and financial ease to large number of workers working in Delhi,” Rai said.
The minimum wages for unskilled workers such as security guards, peons will rise to Rs 9,174 from Rs9,048 per month, which translates to Rs390 per day. In case of semi-skilled workers like welders, the post- hike wage will be Rs10,136 per month, Rs 429 a day. It was Rs10,010 earlier. Skilled workers like masons or drivers are now entitled to Rs11,154 per month as opposed to Rs10,998 earlier. Rs 467 will be the per day rate.
A statement issued by the Government said that the hike reflects pro-active and pro-labour policies of the city Government.
“These rates will be applicable in respect of unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled categories in all scheduled employments except employment in ‘Shops and Establishments’ and employment in ‘Clubs’,” an official statement said.
The rates were last hiked in April this year by around five per cent. Wages of semi-skilled, skilled and graduate workers were Rs9,542, Rs10,478 and Rs11,414 respectively before that hike.
The enhancement, across categories, was declared by declaring installment of dearness allowance which comes in operation from October 1. Rates were also hiked for clerical and non-technical supervisory staff in all scheduled employments including non- matric, matric and graduates. Non-matric staff will now get Rs10,136 amounting to Rs390 a day. Matric but non-graduates stands to earn a minimum of Rs429 per day or Rs11,154 per month while for Graduates the rate is Rs12,142 per month, or Rs467 a day.
“The workers who are paid less than the minimum rates of wages may file his claim before the Joint labour Commissioner/Deputy labour Commissioner of the concerned District who are notified as Authority under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 to hear and decide the claims relating to less payment of wages than the minimum rates of wages as notified,” said the official statement.