Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Legislative Assembly Vijender Gupta demanded on Tuesday that the Delhi government must immediately implement the Central government’s formula for minimum wages to provide relief to more than 40 lakh daily wagers.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s scheme in this regard, Mr. Gupta said, had been a “misadventure” which the Delhi High Court, on August 4, had done away with by quashing a notification mandating higher wages issued by it on March 3, 2017.
“The Delhi government had revised minimum wages of unskilled workers from ₹9724 to ₹13,896 per month. It affected an increase of 37% in the wages of unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled-category workers. The Delhi government had committed a blunder in formulating the revised wages and hence these were quashed by the court. However, its misadventure badly hit the poor workers,” Mr. Gupta alleged.
After the Delhi High Court quashed the order, the Delhi government reverted to pre-March 4 rates that came as a big shock to poor workers, as many as more than 40 lakh of them, including safai karamcharis and other daily wagers, who constitute the poorest work force in the organised sector in the Capital.
“If the Delhi government adopts the minimum wages prescribed by the Central government, it will result in higher salaries to daily wagers than ever before. Unskilled workers will be eligible for ₹14,378, semi-skilled workers for ₹15,912 and skilled workers for salaries of ₹17, 498,” Mr. Gupta also said.
