The government has revised the minimum wages from Rs 100 to Rs 115 per day, bringing relief to lakhs of workers reeling under inflationary pressure across the country.
“The National Floor Level Minimum Wage has been revised from Rs 100 per day to Rs 115 per day with effect from April 1, 2011,” said an official in the Labour and Employment Ministry.
He said the revision was carried out keeping in mind the rise in the ‘all India consumer price index’.Though the measures are non-statutory, the Ministry has requested all the states to revise minimum wages in such a way that in none of the scheduled employments, the minimum wage is less than national floor level minimum wage of Rs 115 per day, the official said.
Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge has written to state chief ministers to ensure implementation of various provisions of the Minimum Wages Act by making periodic inspections so that the objective of ensuring minimum wages to workers are fulfilled, the official said.
The concept of National Floor Level Minimum Wage (NFLMW) was mooted so as to have a uniform wage structure and to reduce the disparity in minimum wages across the country.
It has been revised from time to time primarily taking into account the increase in the consumer price index number for Industrial Workers.
The last revision was carried out in 1st November, 2009 when the minimum wage was revised from Rs 80 to Rs 100.
The Minimum Wages Act is proposed to be amended to make the minimum wage statutory and fix minimum wages for all employments etc.