SHILLONG: Thma U Rangli Juki on Tuesday submitted its response to the Draft Proposal published in the Gazette of Meghalaya regarding the revision of minimum wages in Meghalaya
The NGO met the Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong and submitted the response.
The response said that the revision of minimum wage should be based on actual cost of living in Meghalaya calculated by Meghalaya Pay Commission for the wages of lowest grade government employees.
“Our proposed calculation takes into consideration bare minimum cost of living per month for a single worker (including her spouse and two children) to provide 2700 calories per capita per day including clothing, hygiene and education and in urban areas it works out to approximately Rs. 14000 per month while in rural areas approximately Rs 10,500 per month,” the response said
The NGO also said that the skill classification should be based on objective criterion like experience and qualification and they also demanded that up gradation should automatically happen every five years.
The TUR also demanded that all establishments in Meghalaya that fall under central sphere should pay wages according to Central Sphere minimum wage and Meghalaya government should issue immediate notification regarding this.
“The notification should include a warning regarding the ‘immediate implementation of the minimum wage order failing which the defaulting entity has to pay interest plus arrears to the worker as well as being fined,” the response said while asking the government to make minimum wage board more representative by inducting representative from workers’ power and its associated trade unions.
Later, TUR member, Angela Rangad said that the Deputy Chief Minister was positive about all the demands made by the group.