Delhi govt hikes minimum wages of unorganised sector workers

New Delhi: In a major relief to workers in the unorganised sector in the national capital, the Delhi government today announced an increase in their minimum wages. [caption id=“attachment_2183003” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image.[/caption] “We have revised an unskilled worker’s minimum wage of Rs 8,632 to Rs 9,048. Similarly wages of semi-skilled, skilled and graduate workers were increased from Rs 9,542, Rs 10,478 and Rs 11,414 to Rs 10,010, Rs 10,998 and Rs 11,986 respectively,” Delhi Labour Minister Gopal Rai said, adding that the new minimum wage will be effective from today. “At a recent public hearing, I received complaints from workers about non-payment of notified minimum rates of wages. So we decided to start an operation under which details of licenced agencies will be collected so as to monitor their performance and to ensure benefits to contractual labourers,” Rai said, adding that the labour department will organise next public hearing of contractual labourers on April 20. Labour Minister also said that the Delhi Government was taking steps to ensure pensioner benefits to unorganised sector workers under the national pension scheme. “The scheme is called Dilli Swavalamban Yojana. As its contribution, Delhi Government gave first installment of Rs 56 lakhs to the representatives of Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA),” Rai said. The scheme will give social security to domestic workers, auto and taxi drivers, anganwadi workers, helpers, BPL families, rickshaw pullers, hawkers, rag pickers, mid day meal workers etc. According to an official, eligible beneficiary contributes a minimum of Rs 1000 each year, subject to a maximum of Rs. 12000 per annum while the Delhi government contributes Rs 1000 per beneficiary per annum for 25 years. The central government also contributes Rs 1000 per beneficiary per annum for four years under this scheme. According to an official, there are around 18 government welfare schemes for construction workers but at present there were only who were registered. “It includes pension, education, death, marriage fund for the relief of construction worker by labour department. But registration of unorganised labour is less so most of them could not avail benefit of these schemes,” Rai said. To tackle this problem, the government will hold camps at around 100 labour chowks in Delhi. After registration, the construction labourers will get various benefits from the fund available with the Labour Department, Rai said. PTI