Govt set to revise minimum wage rates by 20 to 30 pc

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the government is mulling a revision of minimum wages for workers from April this year.

Workers in sectors like construction, transport, mining, porters as specified under the Minimum Wages Act will be benefited by the government's move.

According to highly placed officials in the ministry, the upward revision in wages could be affected to the extent of 20 to 30 per cent.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment Secretary has already issued a draft notification on the subject and had invited comments and suggestions of stakeholders and experts.

Currently, the minimum wages for most categories of workers stand between Rs 67.33 and Rs 180 per day. The last revision effected by the government was on August 24, 2006.

According to the draft notification minimum wages of unskilled workers will be hiked to the range of Rs 120 to Rs 150 per day, for semi-skilled workers it will be in the band of Rs 150 and Rs 180, skilled workers will be paid in between Rs 180 and Rs 210 and highly skilled workers will receive in the range of Rs 210 and Rs 240 as a day's wage.

The notification identifies 48 trades of unskilled workers, 94 trades of semi skilled trades, and 100 trades involving skilled workers for which the new revisions will be affected.