Karnataka hikes minimum wages for labourers by 60%

The Karnataka Government has increased the minimum wages by 60 per cent, which will ensure labourers in Bengaluru get a minimum of Rs 23,376 per month, according to a State Government notification.

The notification said that the skilled workers would be entitled to Rs 31,114 per month in the State Capital.

Sharing the information, Labour Minister Santosh Lad on Saturday described the move as the fulfilment of a long-pending demand of the labour community across Karnataka.

The revised rates in other parts of Karnataka would be between Rs 19,300 and Rs 21,251 per month.

The minister said the revised wage notification would provide economic security to workers in the unorganised sector as well as employees in specified sectors across the State, while also bringing lakhs of workers under a unified framework for the first time.

“Our Government has issued a notification increasing the minimum wages of workers by 60 per cent. Through this, our Government has fulfilled a long-pending demand of the labouring community in the State,” Lad said in a post on ‘X’.

He said the wage revision had been carried out in accordance with directions issued by the Supreme Court and marked a significant structural reform in the State’s labour framework.

“This notification will provide economic security to workers in the unorganised sector and other specified sectors across the State. While determining the minimum wages, the directions of the Hon’ble Supreme Court Bench have been followed in carrying out this revision,” he said.

The minister said the Government had also replaced the earlier four-zone classification system with a unified notification covering all scheduled employments.

“Further, instead of the earlier classification into four zones, for the first time all scheduled employments have been brought under a single notification,” he said.

According to Lad, the revised wage structure would directly benefit lakhs of workers employed in 81 scheduled occupations across Karnataka.

The minister thanked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his deputy DK Shivakumar, Cabinet colleagues and experts for supporting the Labour Department’s decision.