PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant stated that the minimum wages are effective in the State and that the industries will have to pay revised minimum wages to their workers from the day notification was issued.
“The government will ensure that the notified minimum wages are paid by the industries to their workers. Those who are not paying will be made to pay,” Sawant said.
The Labour Department notified the minimum wages for all schedules of employment in the State in August last year. As per notification, the revised minimum wages for unskilled workers category is Rs 407 per day, semi-skilled workers Rs 468 per day, skilled workers Rs 523 per day and highly skilled/supervisory workers Rs 565 per day. The Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) has also been hiked by Rs 105.
The previous minimum wages for unskilled workers was Rs 307, semi-skilled Rs 368, skilled Rs 423, highly skilled/supervisory Rs 465 per day and clerical Rs 423 per day as on May 24. 2016 respectively.
However, trade unions have rejected the revised minimum wages and have demanded that minimum wages be fixed at Rs 750 per day for unskilled workers and to link them to scientific Dearness Allowance (DA) formula.
The minimum wages were to be revised every five years but were delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic. The minimum wages were revised last in 2016 while the Variation in Dearness Allowance (VDA) was revised with Rs 92 across all categories on October 1, 2022.