WB Govt announces hike in minimum wages for workers

Kolkata, Feb 22 (PTI) Ahead of the coming Assemblyelection in the state, West Bengal Government todayannounced the hike in minimum wages for workers underunorganised and agriculture sector from next month.

Announcing this here today, state''s Labour MinisterAnadi Sahu said that the decision was taken in a meeting ofthe Minimum Wages Advisory Board during the day.

With this the unskilled workers of 58 unorganisedsectors in urban areas would get their monthly minimum wagesincluding variable DA hiked from Rs 3878 to Rs 4967.

Similarly the monthly minimum wages including variableDA for semi-skilled workers increased from Rs 3903 to Rs 5423,for skilled workers from Rs 3928 to Rs 6010 and for Highskilled workers from Rs 3953 to Rs 6610 per month.

In rural areas, monthly minimum wages includingvariable DA for unskilled workers have increased from Rs 3762to Rs 4687, for semi-skilled workers from Rs 4138 to Rs 5156,for skilled workers from Rs 4552 to Rs 5672 and for highlyskilled workers from Rs 5007 to Rs 6239, the minister said.

Daily minimum wages including variable DA forunskilled agricultural workers also increased to Rs 159(without meal) and Rs 148 (with two meals), for semi-skilledto Rs 175 (without meal) and Rs 164 (with two meals), and forskilled ones to Rs 192 (without meals) and Rs 181 (with twomeals), the minister said adding that earlier minimum wagesfor agricultural workers were Rs 112.50 (without meal) andRs 102.50 (with two meals).

With this altogether 2.5 crore unorganised sectorworkers and farmers in the state would be benefitted, he said.

The state government would also set up 480 labourwelfare facilitation centre to assist such workers in case ofany problem in getting the right wages, Sahu said.