Sikkim raises minimum wage of labourers by 67 %

KUNAL RAI

GANGTOK, : The State government has hiked minimum daily wages of unskilled and skilled labourers by 67 per cent, with retrospective effect from July 11, 2022.

The daily wage has been increased from Rs. 300 to Rs. 500 for unskilled workers, from Rs. 320 to Rs. 520 for semi-skilled ones and from Rs. 335 to Rs. 535 for skilled ones.  For the highly skilled labourers, the minimum daily wage has been increased from Rs. 365 to Rs. 565.

These wages will be applicable for those working at altitude up to 8,000 feet, while 50 per cent more wages will be given to those working at altitudes from 8,001 feet to 12,000 feet, 75% more for 12,001 feet to 16,000 feet and double the normal wages for those working at altitude of over16,000 feet.

Addressing a press conference at Shram Bhawan here on Wednesday, Labour minister Lok Nath Sharma said, “On September 13, Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay approved the revision and today, the department has come out with a notification with 67% hike in daily wages which is highest.”

The latest revision takes Sikkim to third position among the States with highest minimum wages.

The minister said the department took the initiative to hike minimum wage after Chief Minister’s announcement on May 1. “On July 11, the department issued a gazette notification giving 60 days’ time to the stakeholders to submit any objections or suggestions to the department. A total of 14 representations were received by the department which were evaluated. The department then submitted its report to the government for consideration and approval.”

The Labour department notified the revised rate as per the Minimum wages Act, 1948. The last revision was carried out in 2017.

The conference was also addressed by Labour department secretary Namrata Thapa.