HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states multiple contractors’ labour unions, affiliated to Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), have filed PIL cases separately in the Hyderabad High Court seeking directions to both the state governments to revise the minimum wages to all workers, both skilled and unskilled, in accordance with the rising prices and as per the provisions of Minimum Wages Act, 1948.
They complained that there was inordinate delay in processing the revision of minimum wages to the existing scheduled employments and thereby causing much agony to the workers dependent on these salaries.The AP union, represented by its state secretary M Srinivasa Murthy, submitted that the payment of salaries below the minimum wages amounts to forced labour which was prohibited by Article 23 of the Constitution of India. The Telangana union was represented by P Jeevan Rao in the court.