KOLLAM: This New Year, there is something to cheer for the thousands of employees working in the unorganised sector of the state. For, the government has decided to revise the minimum wages being paid to people working in shops and commercial establishments. Under a new notification, employees in courier services, DTP centres, Internet cafes, telephone booths and catering services, among others, will benefit.
As per the revised monthly minimum wages list, from now on, the amount to be payable to a stenographer, watch mechanic, photo studio artist and others will be Rs 9,120. In the case of typist, cashier, barber, cycle mechanic, head load worker in shops and others it will be Rs 8,910. The monthly minimum wage to be payable to darkroom assistant, mike operator, assistant wireman (light and sound services) and others will be Rs 8,700.
“The revised rates have been fixed after considering the objections and suggestions received on the draft proposals published in the Gazette in September 2015. Before taking a decision, we also considered the suggestions put forward by the Minimum Wages Advisory Board. With this new notification, the minimum wage notification of July 2009 has become null and void. We intend to cover employees working in courier services, DTP centres, Internet cafes, telephone booths, catering services, house boat service and others as it has been found that their wage pattern is meagre and thus they can hardly meet their day-to-day expenses. The revised wage scale might help them to a certain extent in coping with the present market conditions,” said an official with the Labour and Skills Department.
According to the official, it has been decided to mandate the employer to provide food for those employees who fall in category D (peon, watchman, cleaner, scavengers and others) in addition to the minimum wages fixed for that category. In addition, Dearness Allowance will have to be paid to employees along with their basic wages. The notification entitles employees working in municipality or Corporation areas a special wage of Rs 200 per month, which will have to be paid along with their monthly wages. The notification has also made it clear that, ‘’In case any employee of any establishment is getting higher wages than the minimum wages fixed as per the notification, he shall continue to be paid such higher rates.’’