Labour Dept. asked to make fresh calculation of minimum wages for 10 scheduled employments

In what is being seen as a positive signal in fixing minimum wages on scientific basis in the current revision cycle, the State government has sent back a proposal by the Labour Department to enhance minimum wages for 10 scheduled employments and asked the wages to be revised on a more rational basis

In what is being seen as a positive signal in fixing minimum wages on scientific basis in the current revision cycle, the State government has sent back a proposal by the Labour Department to enhance minimum wages for 10 scheduled employments and asked the wages to be revised on a more rational basis.

While the minimum wages for 38 scheduled employments have already been notified in 2022-2023, the revised minimum wages for 10 scheduled employment is pending before the new Congress government for notification.

Labour Minister Santosh Lad confirmed the development and said that he had asked for a scientific revision of wages. “Labour cannot be cheap. I have asked the department officials to come up with fresh calculations,” he told The Hindu.

In Karnataka, to the already existing 83 scheduled employments, 22 were added in 2019, taking the total to 105 that covers close to about 2 crore workers.

The minimum wages were fixed in 2017-2018 to 83 scheduled employments in Karnataka, and as per law these are to be revised at least once in five years.

The revision of minimum wages to 38 of the scheduled employments in 2022-23, however, had been criticised by trade unions.