Delhi govt to ensure workers paid as per new wage rates

The Delhi government on Tuesday directed all its departments to submit compliance reports by April 20 on ensuring payment of salaries to workers as per the new minimum wages rates by contractors hired by them.

These contractors have been engaged with various government-run schemes and projects in the national capital.

The instructions were issued by the Labour Department in a meeting of 45 government departments and 175 contractors chaired by Labour Minister Gopal Rai.

Last month, Lt Governor Anil Baijal had cleared the AAP government’s proposal to hike minimum wages by 37 per cent for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers.

The new rates of minimum wages had come into force last month after the labour department had issued a notification on this issue.

As per the notification, for an unskilled worker the minimum wages is ₹13,350 per month against the earlier ₹9,724 per month.

For semi-skilled and skilled persons, it has been increased from ₹10,764 to ₹14,698 and from ₹11,830 to ₹16,182 per month respectively.

“In the meeting, the labour department made it clear that all departments will ensure that contractors hired by them to pay salaries of their workers as per new rates of minimum wages.

“Contractors, who were also present in meeting, have been directed not to violate rules,” a senior government official said.

The official said that all departments have been asked to submit the compliance reports of the instruction by April 20 on the issue.

After approval of the proposal by Baijal, Kejriwal had dubbed the 37% hike in minimum wages as “historic” and “highest” in Independent India.

PTI