Delhi workers to get enhanced minimum wages

The Delhi government on Thursday said that workers -- skilled, unskilled or semi-skilled -- will get enhanced minimum wages from November 1, a day after the Supreme Court's nod for the same.

"According to the revised pay scale, unskilled category will get Rs 14,000 per month, semi-skilled will get Rs 15,400 per month while skilled will get Rs 16,962 per month," Labour Minister Gopal Rai said.

Rai also said his Ministry will launch a campaign from November 10 to create awareness among the workers about the Minimum Wages Act amendments, which was approved in May by President Ram Nath Kovind.

Kovind gave his assent to the Delhi government's proposed Bill to amend the Minimum Wages Act under which employers violating labour rules in the city will face a fine of Rs 50,000 and a jail term of three years.

"The rules in the Act were weak and so the implementation of Minimum Wages Act was difficult. Now with the court's order, we are restoring the minimum wages and to create awareness among the people, we will run a campaign between November 10 and 30.

"There will be no action till December 10. We will form 10-12 Special Task Forces. The teams will conduct raids and keep a check on the wages being distributed after December 10," he said.

The government will start imposing fines on employers and organisations after December 10 on violation of rules.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered that the minimum wages fixed by the Delhi government as per the notification dated March 3, 2017 will hold and directed the Delhi government to re-do the exercise of fixing the minimum wages for the scheduled employment afresh within three months.

"We are working on re-doing the calculation of minimum wages. By January-end, we will submit our report to the apex court and a fresh notification on wages will be introduced after that," Rai said.

--IANS

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