By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Workers Power, a federation of over 13 workers’ unions in Meghalaya along with Thma U Rangli Juki (TUR), has threatened to stage an agitation if the government does not enhance the minimum wages of its workers through a consultative process in a month’s time.
The federation wants the minimum wages to be at par with the central wages or revised to make them reflect the living realities in the state.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, the federation said it might resort to various constitutional means of agitation to make the government take note of the various demands, including increasing the minimum wage to Rs 350 for unskilled workers and Rs 462 for skilled workers.
The federation had submitted a comprehensive memorandum in this regard to labour minister and deputy chief minister, Prestone Tynsong on May 10, highlighting the fact that Meghalaya had the lowest minimum wage in India despite a higher cost of living and inflation than most other states in the country. It further pointed out that the schedule of employment in Meghalaya did not reflect the reality of working conditions. “Workers are denied statutory rights like PF, health facility through ESI, paid leave, etc. Many establishments employ contract workers through labour contractors, even though the work is perennial and regular in nature. Central establishments in Meghalaya do not even pay Central Minimum Wages,” the memorandum said.The federation said the demands of the workers should be met in a time bound and consultative manner.
“We insist on revision of minimum wage to make it a living wage. It should be revised as per the 5th Pay Commission formula for the lowest government employees or as per the 15th Labour Commission formula and the Raptakos judgment.
) It should be applicable to all forms of workers in the organised and unorganised sectors, including daily labourers, agriculture and domestic workers and all workers in government, non- government, private sector, autonomous bodies, etc,” it said.
The federation said that half yearly increase in inflation-linked VDA should be mandatory and should be effective from October 2017
“The schedule for minimum wages in Meghalaya is a sketchy one and does not reflect reality of workplaces in the state. It lumps together all kinds of work and has only one rate for all workers in the state. We demand that the state should revise its schedule of employment,” it said.
A process of tripartite consultations should be completed in a month’s time so that the workers are not forced to agitate,” the federation said, adding, in spite of reminders to the government, the consultations have not yet begun on these demands.