Minimum wages will be fixed soon: Dingo
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, February 24 2023:
Labour and Employment minister Heikham Dingo said that the depart ment will soon fix minimum wages for different types of works.
He gave the assurance during the discussion on the demand for labour and employment in the on going state assembly session on Friday.
Responding to policy cut motion moved by opposition members Th Lokeshwar and Okram Surjakumar, the minister said that an advisory committee has been formed to look into the fixation of minimum wages.
It took some time to form the committee and it made a draft proposal.
However, some of the committee members suggested raising the minimum wages as mentioned in the draft.
As such, the final decision was deferred to further study the wage rates.
Wage rates of the state cannot be compared with states like Karnataka, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir since Manipur is in category 'C' .
The final decision has been kept in abeyance in order to bring a consensus among the committee members.
However, the differences will be sorted out soon and the wage rates will be declared after implementing Minimum Wages Act, Dingo said.
He further told the House that the department does not directly implement any beneficiary scheme though autonomous body like Manipur Building and Other Construction Workers' Welfare Board under the department implement some welfare schemes for labourers and weavers, the minister said while adding that assistance for education, accident and maternity benefits'are provided to registered labourers, who possess labour cards.