By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The State Government has proposed to revise the rates of minimum wages for workers in the State.
In reply to a question by Ardent Basaiawmoit (HSPDP), Labour Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said that as pre the revised proposal, unskilled workers will get Rs 165 per day instead of the existing Rs 100, semi-skilled workers will avail Rs 170 instead of the current rate of Rs 120 per day while the wages for skilled workers would be hiked to Rs 185 from Rs 140.
The proposed daily wage for highly skilled workers has been fixed at Rs 200, though there is no such category at present, the Minister said. As per the proposal, the Government had, on March 31, called for objections and suggestions to the proposed revised rates within a period of 60 days.
The revised wage is for 8 hours day work including the wages payable for the weekly day of rest.
The current rate of minimum wage was notified on August 24, 2009 by the Government.
According to Lyngdoh, it was after realizing the rise in the price of essential commodities that the Government constituted the minimum wage board comprising of employers, employees and a few independent members to fix the wages.
She said that after the Centre found that the minimum wages in Meghalaya was lower than what was recommended, the Government issued the fresh notification in March fixing the proposed new rate and also inviting suggestions from the people in this regard.