The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Goa on Monday demanded immediate revision and enhancement of minimum wages in Goa.
General Secretary, AITUC Christopher Fonseca on Monday said that the decision of the Goa government to revise minimum wages to Rs.215 per day for unskilled workers in 2012 was highly arbitrary, unjustified and improper. The mass of workers who are unorganized and contract labour have suffered immensely.
The AITUC has demanded Rs.600 per day, Rs.650 per day, Rs.700 per day and Rs.750 per day as minimum wages for unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled workers, respectively and that they be linked to the periodic revision in Dearness Allowance (DA).
He demanded that as committed by the Goa government earlier at a Labour Ministers’ Conference earlier, the minimum wages for employment be revised and enhanced with a linkage to Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA), immediately.
He argued that even other State like Gujarat and Maharashtra, where the cost of living is much lower than Goa, have significantly increased the minimum wage rates and linked them with DA.
With regard to the tourism and hospitality industry, the AITUC reiterated its long pending demand of 10 per cent service charge for the workers employed in the industry.
