Increase in Minimum Wages: Lok Sabha QA

Increase in Minimum Wages from 01.04.2021 to 01.10.2021: Lok Sabha QA

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1176
TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2021

INCREASE IN MINIMUM WAGES

1176. DR. G. RANJITH REDDY:
SHRI VENKATESH NETHA BORLAKUNTA:
SHRI PASUNOORI DAYAKAR:
SHRIMATI KAVITHA MALOTHU:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Ministry justifies deferring mandatory increase in minimum wages for a year;

(b) whether it impacts 150 million workers and if so, the details thereof; and

(c) whether this results in loss of Rs. 7,500 crores to workers who otherwise would have got this amount as a part of hike in minimum wages?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)
(a) to (c): There is no deferring of revision of minimum wages in the Central sphere. The Central Government revises the basic rates of minimum wages for employees engaged in Scheduled employments in the Central Sphere every 5 years as stipulated under section 3 (1) (b) of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. The basic rate of minimum wages for the scheduled employments in the Central sphere was last revised in 2017. Further, in order to protect the minimum wages against inflation, the Central Government revises the Variable Dearness Allowance (V.D.A) on basic rates of minimum wages every six months effective from 1st April and 1st October every year on the basis of Consumer Price Index for Industrial workers and accordingly it was last revised w.e.f. 01.10.2021. Statement showing increased rates of wages on account of revision in VDA from 01.04.2021 to 01.10.2021 is at Annexure ‘A’.

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Annexure ‘A’

Statement showing increased rates of wages on account of revision in VDA from 01.04.2021 to 01.10.2021

*Employees engaged in the employment of Sweeping and Cleaning excluding Activities prohibited under the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993.

#Employees engaged in the employment of Loading and Unloading in (i) Goods Sheds, Parcel Offices of Railways; (ii) Other Goods Sheds, Godowns, Warehouses and other similar employments; (iii) Docks and Ports; and (iv) Passengers Goods and Cargo Carried out at Airports (Both International and Domestic).

^Employees engaged in the employment of construction or maintenance of Roads or Runways or in Building Operations including laying down Underground Electric, Wireless, Radio, Television, Telephone, Telegraph and Overseas Communication Cables and similar other Underground Cabling Work, Electric Lines, Water Supply Lines and Sewerage Pipe Lines.

$Employees engaged in the employment of Gypsum Mines, Barytes Mines, Bauxite Mines, Manganese Mines, China Clay Mines, Kyanite Mines, Copper Mines, Clay Mines, Magnesite Mines, White Clay Mines, Stone Mines, Steatite Mines (including the mines producing Soap Stones and Talc), Ochre Mines, Asbestos Mines, Fire Clay Mines, Chromite Mines, Quartzite Mines, Quartz Mines, Silica Mines, Graphite Mines, Felspar Mines, Laterite Mines, Dolomite Mines, Red Oxide Mines, Wolfram Mines, Iron Ore Mines, Granite Mines, Rock Phosphate Mines, Hematite Mines, Marble and Calcite Mines, Uranium Mines, Mica Mines, Lignite Mines, Gravel Mines, Slate and Magnetite Mines.

Source: Lok Sabha