CITU urges Govt to revise minimum wages

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 29: Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) today urged the Union Government to revise the minimum wages to Rs.26000 per month for all unskilled scheduled employments with upward fixation for higher skills in the central sphere immediately.
In a press statement issued, CITU further denounced the revision of only VDA as it does not lead to revision of minimum wages.
“The Minimum Wages Act 1948 Section 3(b) mandates revision of minimum wages at regular intervals not exceeding 5 years. The last revision was done in 2017 January, where by the minimum wages revision is pending since January 2022 with the last revision done 7 years back. The Union Government is abdicating its mandatory duty to revise the minimum wages since 2 years though it was to be mandatorily revised by 2022 January,” the statement said.
“The recent notification increasing the VDA is only biennial revision, it is wrongly reported in some section of media as revision of minimum wages, which is misleading one. This hike in VDA in no way commensurate the price rise industrial workers are facing. With the minimum wages revision pending since 2 years the plight of workers with the present crisis of living cost is unbearable to which the pro corporate BJP led NDA Govt is blind,” the statement said and added that the contract workers, whose number has increased to 32.58 lakh are the worst affected due to the non revision of minimum wages in the central sphere.