By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 2: In a significant development for agitating muster roll workers, the state government has accepted four of the five demands raised by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Meghalaya Muster Roll Workers’ Union.
The demands acceded to include enhancement of Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA), release of pending salaries, fixation of retirement age and implementation of the new Labour Codes in Meghalaya.
Following JAC’s representations, Labour Commissioner Jagdish Chelani convened a consultative meeting on April 29 with representatives of various muster roll unions to discuss the issues.
One of the major outcomes of the meeting was the issuance of a revised VDA notification by the Department of Labour, Employment and Skill Development on May 1.
The notification revises minimum wages with effect from April 1, 2026.
VDA, an inflation-linked component of minimum wages, is revised every six months based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to offset the rising cost of living. Officials said the VDA revision scheduled for October 2025 was not carried out due to negative CPI variation.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Chelani said, “Out of the five demands raised by the unions, four have been fully resolved at the policy level. The fifth demand relating to enhancement of retirement age is sub-judice, and the Labour Commissioner’s office will continue to pursue the matter with the Personnel Department and the court for an early resolution.”
According to him, the demand for grant of Regular Casual Worker (RCW) status to casual workers who have completed 10 years of service is already covered under the Regular Casual Workers Scheme notified by the Personnel Department in 1996 and further strengthened through an Office Memorandum issued in 2017.
On the demand for categorisation of wages based on length of service, he said the four-tier wage structure for casual and muster roll workers had already been introduced through the 2017 Office Memorandum.
With regard to the introduction of Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) for muster roll and casual workers, Chelani said the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation has clarified that EPF is mandatory for all establishments employing 20 or more workers. The provision applies to all categories of employees, including permanent, casual, muster roll and contractual workers.
He said the Labour Commissioner’s office has written to all government departments having 20 or more employees, directing them to register their establishments and employees with the EPFO.
On the issue of retirement age, Chelani said the matter is pending before the High Court of Meghalaya. However, a clarificatory circular on the matter will be issued to all heads of departments.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to the welfare of muster roll and casual workers, he said any concerns regarding implementation of the provisions may be brought to the notice of his office for necessary follow-up with authorities concerned.
