Minimum pay to go up, 55 lakh workers to benefit, says Arvind Kejriwal

NEW DELHI: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday stated that the increased minimum wage notified by the Delhi government will be effective in reducing poverty.

The minimum wage was fixed at Rs 14,842 per month for semi-skilled workers, three times more than the National Minimum Wage. For skilled workers, the wage has been enhanced to Rs 17,991 per month. The wages are mandatory to be implemented by all private and public employers in the city.

“We hope that this policy will be instrumental to come out of the economic slowdown. I congratulate the poor labourers of Delhi.

The traders’ associations and others who are against this policy, should know that in the short term they may feel that their cost will increase, but when these poor labourers start to purchase products from the market, the economy will revive and the economic slowdown will be removed. In the long run, you will have larger benefits,” said Kejriwal, adding that the move is expected to bring relief to approximately 55 lakh people working on contract.

Kejriwal said employees will also get dearness allowance for the months of April to September, besides a Diwali bonus of one-month salary. 

The notification came two weeks after the Supreme Court approved the Delhi government’s notification to increase minimum wages.

Kejriwal welcomed the SC decision and said that after the Delhi High Court rejected the proposal last year, his government revised its work on the entire issue and, thereafter, challenged the decision in the top court.

The AAP government removed 1,373 contractors so far for not paying minimum wages to their workers.

“We had run two special drives and booked over 100 employers for violating minimum wages rules. Six contractors were registered under cases of cheating,” Kejriwal said.