Minimum wages hiked in Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 16: Delhi government today 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 neutralize 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 Rs 9,048 per month, which translates to Rs 390 per day. In case of semi-skilled workers like welders, the post- hike wage will be Rs 10,136 per month, Rs 429 a day. It was Rs 10,010 earlier.

Skilled workers like masons or drivers are now entitled to Rs 11,154 per month as opposed to Rs 10,998 earlier. Rs 467 will be the per day rate.

"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 Rs 9,542, Rs 10,478 and Rs 11,414 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 Rs 10,136 amounting to Rs 390 a day. Matric but non-graduates stands to earn a minimum of Rs 429 per day or Rs 11,154 per month while for Graduates the rate is Rs 12,142 per month, or Rs 467 a day.

"Del Cabinet decides 2 revise min wages in del... Contractors who don't pay min wages will b blacklistd," (sic) Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had tweeted after the Cabinet decision. The government said that 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.

PTI