Order soon for Rs 10k minimum wage for contract workers

Bandaru Dattatreya said to make reforms Centre will issue an executive order as opposition is not cooperating

The Centre will issue an executive order to ensure contract workers get a minimum wage of Rs 10,000 per month, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya (pictured) said on Sunday.

“It is the endeavour of the Central government to make reforms in labour laws and to proceed from minimum wage to universal wage. Because the Opposition is not cooperating in the Parliament, we will do it through an executive order,” Dattatreya told reporters here.

“Because the Parliament is not functioning properly, we don’t want to wait and we want to go ahead with some executive orders for the welfare of the workers,” he said. He said the government has decided to make changes to rule 25 of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Central Rules.

“We have framed this rule and sent to the law ministry (for approval) and shortly a notification will come and after this all the state governments will implement this decision,” he said.

Dattatreya said the Supreme Court had given a direction, keeping in view of Consumer Price Index and variation dearness allowance, to increase the minimum wage. “In view of the apex court order, we are enhancing it first to Rs 10,000 and then we want to go for universal minimum wage,” the minister said.

All contractors must register with the labour ministry, he said, adding in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh over 100,000 sanitation workers (those who get Rs 8,500 per month) will benefit, besides crores of workers elsewhere, by the minimum wage rule.