Govt should reconsider decision on hike in minimum wages: FoIJ

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 6: Federation of Industries Jammu (FoIJ) has urged upon the Government to reconsider its decision with regard to exorbitant increase in the minimum wages of the workers in the State.
An executive committee meeting of Federation of Industries Jammu was held today under the chairmanship of Rattan Dogra, in presence of  Lalit Mahajan,  Vijay Aggarwal, Ajit Bawa,  Romesh Badyal,  Rajinder Gupta Co-Chairpersons,  Ajay Langer secretary general,  Pardeep Vaid  convener and other executive committee members of the Federation in respect of exorbitant increase in the minimum wages as announced by the Government resulting great resentment amongst the Industrial sector of J&K working in the State in spite of all the odds.
Members present in the meeting raised serious concern for an exorbitant increase in the minimum wages which is amounting to 75% additional burden on the Industrial sector of J&K and if implemented the Unit holders will have no option but to close down their Units and retrench the workers in near future.
It is a matter of great concern that the stakeholders were not taken into  confidence for the increase in the minimum wages in-spite of the fact that the Federation has already submitted the objections in response to the SRO- 73 dated 23-02-2017 issued by the Labour and Employment Department. It is unjustified on the part of Govt that during last meeting held at Srinagar under the Chairmanship of  Finance Minister on  Oct 4, 2017 in which the request was made to give some more time to Federation of Industries to deliberate on the issue with the stakeholders but the request was not considered.
“We appeal the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister,  Finance Minister who is also Labour and Employment Minister and Industries Minister to kindly reconsider the decision of Labour Department  to make further deliberation on the subject to resolve the issue with the consultation of stakeholders.