Central Govt. employees to get two years of pending bonus: Jaitley

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced that all Central Government employees would soon get their annual bonus that has been pending for the two last years.

"The bonus entitlement for 2014-15 and 2015-16 will be released on the revised norms for central Government employees. This was pending for two years. After this, the bonus will be covered under the 7th Pay Commission," Jaitley told a press conference.

Around 33 lakh employees of the Central Government will be benefitted by this decision.

The move comes after a series of reforms done by the Finance Ministry which include the implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) and the Seventh Pay Commission.

Jaitley yesterday met with the representatives of Central Government employees unions at Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's official residence.

The Finance Minister also said the government will increase the minimum wage of non-agricultural workers to Rs. 350 a day from the present Rs. 246 a day.

"We have decided to raise the minimum wage for unskilled non-agricultural workers for 'C' category areas at Rs.350/day," he said.

This announcement comes after the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) have called for a strike across the country on September 2 to express their disagreement with the Central Government's 'unilateral labour reforms and anti-worker policies.