Lok Sabha Question No. 3012 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-20
Subject: Uniformity of Minimum Wages
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Dulal Chandra Goswami, Arun Kumar Sagar, Ramesh Chander Kaushik

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3012 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2023

## UNIFORMITY OF MINIMUM WAGES

3012. SHRI DULAL CHANDRA GOSWAMI:

SHRI ARUN KUMAR SAGAR:

SHRI RAMESH CHANDER KAUSHIK:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)whether  the  Government  has  to  undertake  research  for  improvised understanding  of  living  wages  to  reach  a  theoretical  estimate  of  living wage and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)whether  the  Government  is  planning  to  shift  from  'minimum  wage'  to 'living wage' and if so, the details of measures planned for the same along with number of people to be benefitted therefrom;
- (c)whether the Government has an estimate of the number of beneficiaries by such a shift and if so, the details thereof;
- (d)whether the Government has any norms for fixing minimum wages in the country,  if  so,  the  details  thereof,  if  not,  the  reasons  for  difference  in minimum wages in various States of the country;
- (e)whether  the  Government  has  any  scheme  to  bring  uniformity  in  the minimum wages in the country and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f)whether the Government is taking any steps to amend the Minimum Wages Act  to  make  annual  increments  and  different  allowances  payable,  if  so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

(a) to (c):  Provision of minimum wages under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 provides  for  cost  of  living  allowance  as  a  component  of  minimum  wages. Accordingly,  the  Central  Government  revises  the  cost  of  living  allowance called  as  Variable  Dearness  Allowance  (V.D.A)  on  basic  rates  of  minimum wages under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, every six months effective from 1st April and 1st October every year on the basis of Consumer Price Index for Industrial workers to protect the minimum wages against inflation.

Recently  the  provisions  of  the  Minimum  Wages  Act,  1948,  have been  rationalized  and  subsumed  under  the  Code  on  Wages,  2019  and  the components  of  minimum  wages  stipulated  therein  also  provide  for  cost  of living  allowance.  Further,  the  Code  makes  minimum  wages  universally applicable  across  employments  and  thus  moves  ahead  from  restrictive applicability  of  minimum  wages  limited  to  scheduled  employments  as provided for under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.

- (d) & (e): As per Section 4 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the minimum rate of wages may consist of:
- (i) a basic rate of wages and a special allowance at a rate to be adjusted, at such  intervals  and  in  such  manner  as  the  appropriate  Government  may direct,  to  accord  as  nearly  as  practicable  with  the  variation  in  the  cost  of living  index  number  applicable  to  such  workers  (hereinafter  referred  to  as the 'cost of living allowance'); or
- (ii) a basic rate of wages with or without the cost of living allowance and the cash value of the concessions in respect of supplies of essential commodities at concessional rates, where so authorised; or
- (iii)  an  all-inclusive  rate  allowing  for  the  basic  rate,  the  cost  of  living allowance and the cash value of the concessions, if any.

As  the  Central  Government  and  the  State  Governments  are appropriate  Governments  to  fix,  review  and  revise  the  minimum  rates  of wages in scheduled employments in their respective jurisdictions in terms of section 4 the Act, the minimum rates of wages vary from one jurisdiction to another.

- (f): The Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) on basic rates of minimum wages is revised every six months in the Central sphere and it was last revised w.e.f. 01.10.2022. A statement showing increase in the rates of wages on account of increasing V.D.A payable to the employees engaged in the scheduled employments in the Central Sphere is at Annexure.

*                                                         ******

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (f)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UN-STARRED QUESTION No.  3012 FOR 20.03.2023

## Statement showing increased rates of minimum wages on account of revision of VDA from 19.01.2017 to 01.10.2022

| Scheduled Employmen    | Category                                                 | Rates of Wages including V.D.A per day (in Rs.)   | Rates of Wages including V.D.A per day (in Rs.)                             | Rates of Wages including V.D.A per day (in Rs.)                             | Rates of Wages including V.D.A per day (in Rs.)                             | Rates of Wages including V.D.A per day (in Rs.)                             | Rates of Wages including V.D.A per day (in Rs.)                             |
|------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                        | of Workers                                               | Area A                                            | Area A                                                                      | Area B                                                                      | Area B                                                                      | Area C                                                                      | Area C                                                                      |
| t                      |                                                          | 19.01.2017                                        | 01.10.2022                                                                  | 19.01.2017                                                                  | 01.10.2022                                                                  | 19.01.2017                                                                  | 01.10.2022                                                                  |
| Agriculture            | Unskilled                                                | 333                                               | 454                                                                         | 303                                                                         | 414                                                                         | 300                                                                         | 409                                                                         |
| Agriculture            | Semi- skilled/Unskill ed Supervisory                     | 364                                               | 495                                                                         | 335                                                                         | 456                                                                         | 307                                                                         | 419                                                                         |
| Agriculture            | Skilled/Cleric al                                        | 395                                               | 539                                                                         | 364                                                                         | 495                                                                         | 334                                                                         | 455                                                                         |
| Agriculture            | Highly-skilled                                           | 438                                               | 596                                                                         | 407                                                                         | 554                                                                         | 364                                                                         | 495                                                                         |
| Sweeping and Cleaning+ | Unskilled                                                | 523                                               | 711                                                                         | 437                                                                         | 595                                                                         | 350                                                                         | 477                                                                         |
| Watch and Ward         | Without Arms ( Upgraded to skilled with training)        | 637                                               | 866                                                                         | 579                                                                         | 788                                                                         | 494                                                                         | 671                                                                         |
| Watch and Ward         | With Arms( Upgraded to highly skilled for supervision)   | 693                                               | 940                                                                         | 637                                                                         | 866                                                                         | 579                                                                         | 788                                                                         |
| Loading & Unloading#   | Unskilled                                                | 523                                               | 711                                                                         | 437                                                                         | 595                                                                         | 350                                                                         | 477                                                                         |
| Constructio n^         | Unskilled                                                | 523                                               | 711                                                                         | 437                                                                         | 595                                                                         | 350                                                                         | 477                                                                         |
|                        | Semi- skilled/Unskill ed Supervisory                     | 579                                               | 788                                                                         | 494                                                                         | 671                                                                         | 410                                                                         | 557                                                                         |
|                        | Skilled/Cleric al                                        | 637                                               | 866                                                                         | 579                                                                         | 788                                                                         | 494                                                                         | 671                                                                         |
|                        | Highly-skilled                                           | 693                                               | 940                                                                         | 637                                                                         | 866                                                                         | 579                                                                         | 788                                                                         |
|                        |                                                          |                                                   | 19.01.2017 01.10.2022 of over burden with 50 meters lead/1.5 meters lift: * | 19.01.2017 01.10.2022 of over burden with 50 meters lead/1.5 meters lift: * | 19.01.2017 01.10.2022 of over burden with 50 meters lead/1.5 meters lift: * | 19.01.2017 01.10.2022 of over burden with 50 meters lead/1.5 meters lift: * | 19.01.2017 01.10.2022 of over burden with 50 meters lead/1.5 meters lift: * |
| Workers engaged in     | 1.Excavation & removal (a) Soft Soil 351                 | 1.Excavation & removal (a) Soft Soil 351          | 1.Excavation & removal (a) Soft Soil 351                                    | 1.Excavation & removal (a) Soft Soil 351                                    | 481                                                                         | 481                                                                         | 481                                                                         |
| Stone Mines for Stone  | (b) Soft Soil with Rock                                  | 531                                               | 531                                                                         | 531                                                                         | 722                                                                         | 722                                                                         | 722                                                                         |
| Breaking               | (c) Rock                                                 | 703                                               | 703                                                                         | 703                                                                         | 956                                                                         | 956                                                                         | 956                                                                         |
| and Stone Crushing     | 2. Removal and Staking of rejected stones with 50 metres | 283                                               | 283                                                                         | 283                                                                         | 386                                                                         | 386                                                                         | 386                                                                         |

|                   | lead/1.5metr es lift*                                                 |                                                                       |                                                                       |                                                                       |
|-------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                   | 3. Stone breaking or Stone Crushing for the stone size of category ** | 3. Stone breaking or Stone Crushing for the stone size of category ** | 3. Stone breaking or Stone Crushing for the stone size of category ** | 3. Stone breaking or Stone Crushing for the stone size of category ** |
|                   | (a) 1.0 inch to 1.5 inches                                            | 2171                                                                  | 2171                                                                  | 2938                                                                  |
|                   | (b) Above 1.5 Inches to 3.0 Inches                                    | 1857                                                                  | 1857                                                                  | 2513                                                                  |
|                   | (c) Above 3.0 Inches to 5 Inches                                      | 1088                                                                  | 1088                                                                  | 1475                                                                  |
|                   | (d) Above 5.0 Inches                                                  | 893                                                                   | 893                                                                   | 1212                                                                  |
| Non - Coal Mines$ |                                                                       | Above Ground {Rates of Wages including V.D.A per day (in Rs.)}        | Above Ground {Rates of Wages including V.D.A per day (in Rs.)}        | Below {Rates of Wages V.D.A per day (in Rs.)}                         |
|                   |                                                                       | 19.01.2017                                                            | 01.10.2022                                                            | 19.01.2017 01.10.2022                                                 |
|                   | Unskilled                                                             | 350                                                                   | 477                                                                   | 437 595                                                               |
|                   | Semi- skilled/Unskill ed Supervisory                                  | 437                                                                   | 595                                                                   | 523 711                                                               |
|                   | Skilled/Cleric al                                                     | 523                                                                   | 711                                                                   | 610 829                                                               |
|                   | Highly-skilled                                                        | 610                                                                   | 829                                                                   | 683 926                                                               |

+ Employees  engaged  in  the  employment  of  Sweeping  and  Cleaning  excluding  Activities  prohibited  under  the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993.

# Employees engaged in the employment of Loading and Unloading in (i) Goods Sheds, Parcel Offices of Railways; (ii)  Other  Goods  Sheds,  Godowns,  Warehouses and other similar employments;  (iii) Docks and Ports; and (iv) Passengers Goods and Cargo Carried out at Airports (Both International and Domestic).

^ Employees  engaged  in  the  employment  ofconstruction  or  maintenance  of  Roads  or  Runways  or  in  Building Operations  including  laying  down  Underground  Electric,  Wireless,  Radio,  Television,  Telephone,  Telegraph  and Overseas Communication Cables and similar other Underground Cabling Work, Electric Lines, Water Supply Lines and Sewerage Pipe Lines.

$ Employees engaged in the employment of Gypsum Mines, Barytes Mines, Bauxite Mines,  Manganese Mines, China Clay Mines, Kyanite Mines, Copper Mines, Clay Mines, Magnesite Mines, White Clay Mines, Stone Mines, Steatite  Mines  (including  the  mines  producing  Soap  Stones  and  Talc),  Ochre  Mines,  Asbestos  Mines,  Fire  Clay Mines,  Chromite  Mines,  Quartzite  Mines,  Quartz  Mines,  Silica  Mines,  Graphite  Mines,  Felspar  Mines,  Laterite Mines, Dolomite Mines, Red Oxide Mines, Wolfram Mines, Iron Ore Mines, Granite Mines, Rock Phosphate Mines, Hematite Mines, Marble and Calcite Mines, Uranium Mines, Mica Mines, Lignite Mines, Gravel Mines, Slate and Magnetite Mines.

## Classification of Area

| AREA - 'A' Ahmedabad   | (UA)       | Hyderabad            | (UA)       | Faridabad complex   |            |
|------------------------|------------|----------------------|------------|---------------------|------------|
| Bangaluru              | (UA)       | Kanpur               | (UA)       | Ghaziabad           |            |
| Kolkata                | (UA)       | Lucknow              | (UA)       | Gurgaon             |            |
| elhi                   | (UA)       | Chennai              | (UA)       | Noida               |            |
| Greater Mumbai         | (UA)       | Nagpur               | (UA)       | Secunderabad        |            |
| Navi Mumbai            |            | Pune                 | (UA)       |                     |            |
| AREA - 'B'             | AREA - 'B' | AREA - 'B'           | AREA - 'B' | AREA - 'B'          | AREA - 'B' |
| Agra                   | (UA)       | Gwalior              | (UA)       | Port Blair          | (UA)       |
| Ajmer                  | (UA)       | Hubli-Dharwad        | (M. Corpn) | Puducherry          | (UA)       |
| Aligarh                | (UA)       | Indore               | (UA)       | Raipur              | (UA)       |
| Allahabad              | (UA)       | Jabalpur             | (UA)       | Raurkela            | (UA)       |
| Amravati               | (M.Corpn)  | Jaipur               | (M.Corpn)  | Rajkot              | (UA)       |
| Amritsar               | (UA)       | Jalandhar            | (UA)       | Ranchi              | (UA)       |
| Asansol                | (UA)       | Jalandhar-Cantt.     | (UA)       | Saharanpur          | (M.Corpn)  |
| Aurangabad             | (UA)       | Jammu                | (UA)       | Salem               | (UA)       |
| Bareilly               | (UA)       | Jamnagar             | (UA)       | Sangli              | (UA)       |
| Belgaum                | (UA)       | Jamshedpur           | (UA)       | Shillong            |            |
| Bhavnagar              | (UA)       | Jhansi               | (UA)       | Siliguri            | (UA)       |
| Bhiwandi               | (UA)       | Jodhpur              | (UA)       | Solapur             | (M.Corpn)  |
| Bhopal                 | (UA)       | Kannur               | (UA)       | Srinagar            | (UA)       |
| Bhubaneshwar           | (UA)       | Kochi                | (UA)       | Surat               | (UA)       |
| Bikaner                | (M.Corpn)  | Kolhapur             | (UA)       | Thiruvanantapuram   | (UA)       |
| Bokaro Steel City      | (UA)       | Kollam               | (UA)       | Thrissur            | (UA)       |
| Chandigarh             | (UA)       | Kota                 | (M.Corpn)  | Tiruchirappalli     | (UA)       |
| Coimbatore             | (UA)       | Kozhikode            | (UA)       | Tiruppur            | (UA)       |
| Cuttack                | (UA)       | Ludhiana             | (M.Corpn)  | Ujjain              | (M.Corpn)  |
| Dehradun               | (UA)       | Madurai              | (UA)       | Vadodara            | (UA)       |
| Dhanbad                | (UA)       | Malappuram           | (UA)       | Varanasi            | (UA)       |
| Durgapur               | (UA)       | Malegaon             | (UA)       | Vasai- Virar City   | (M.Corpn)  |
| Durg-Bhilai Nagar      | (UA)       | Mangalore            | (UA)       | Vijayawada          | (UA)       |
| Erode                  | (UA)       | Meerut               | (UA)       | Vishakhapatnam      | (M.Corpn)  |
| Firozabad              |            | Moradabad            | (M. Corpn) | Warangal            | (UA)       |
| Goa                    |            | Mysore               | (UA)       | Gorakhpur           | (UA)       |
| NandedWaghala          | (M. Corpn) | GreaterVisakhapatnam | (M.Corpn)  | Nasik               | (UA)       |
| Gulbarga               | (UA)       | Nellore              | (UA)       | Guntur              | (UA)       |
| Panchkula              | (UA)       | Guwahati             | (UA)       | Patna               | (UA)       |

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