SHILLONG, Jan 17: The All Jaintia Muster Roll Workers and Labour Union (AJMRWLU) on Thursday threatened to launch a massive agitation if the government fails to revise the floor basic rate within the stipulated period.
In a representation addressed to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, the AJMRWLU expressed dissatisfaction with the recent Cabinet decision to revise the Floor Basic Rate of Minimum Wages in Meghalaya calling the revised wages inadequate.
Seeking the chief minister’s urgent intervention to ensure justice and fairness for all workers, the union’s general secretary, Weget Well Ramut, stated that the approved rates are inadequate, fail to align with inflation, and do not reflect the appropriate base floor rate. She argued that the base rate should have been Rs 300 per day as of 2018, rather than Rs 419 for 2024.
Providing details of the previous floor basic rate increase on October 1, 2018, Ramut explained that the rate for unskilled workers increased from Rs 196 to Rs 300, marking a Rs-104 rise. For semi-skilled workers, the rate rose from Rs 208 to Rs 340, reflecting a Rs 132 increase. Skilled workers saw an increase from Rs 220 to Rs 380, a rise of Rs 160, while highly skilled workers experienced an increase from Rs 244 to Rs 420, amounting to Rs 176.
Referring to the revised rates approved by the Cabinet on January 10, 2025, she pointed out that the increment was significantly smaller. For unskilled workers, the rate increased from Rs 419 to Rs 525, an increment of Rs 106. For semi-skilled workers, the rate rose from Rs 474 to Rs 565, a Rs 91 increase.
Skilled workers saw their wages rise from Rs 530 to Rs 605, a Rs 75 increase, and highly skilled workers received an increase from Rs 586 to Rs 645, a Rs 59 increment.
Ramut noted that the quantum of increase has reduced progressively from unskilled to highly skilled categories, a trend she described as unprecedented and unacceptable. She argued that historically, increments have been proportionate across all categories, ensuring fairness and alignment with the nature of work and skill levels. She added that the revisions should comply with the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, and that October 1, 2023, should have been the effective date for the changes, as floor basic rates must be revised within five years of the last revision.
The union has demanded a review and rectification of the revised rates, insisting that a formal notification be issued within 10 days. Ramut emphasised that the current rates must be adjusted to reflect fair increments, considering the inflation rate and the base floor rate of Rs 300 revised on October 1, 2018. She also called for the inclusion of the variable dearness allowance for the years 2019-2024, along with the revised floor basic rates, to determine the accurate amounts for all categories of workers.
