‘Centre should make variable DA part of minimum wages’
28 Sep 2012 12:01 AM GMT
Haryana minister of state for labour, Shiv Charan Lal Sharma, on Thursday suggested the central government should make the system of variable dearness allowance an integral part of fixation of minimum wages and to fix the rate of minimum wages at state level so that there would be no variation in the minimum wages.
Also, for work skills development, he suggested that workshops at state level should be organised for smooth functioning of the State Vocational Training Project.
Shiv Charan Lal Sharma was speaking at the State Labour Ministers’ Conference held at New Delhi. He said that Haryana government had always been very sensitive regarding the issue of minimum wages. The minimum wage rate of Haryana has always remained on the higher side, higher than the highest minimum wage rate in other states.
According to the policy of the state government, after about five years the minimum wage rate was reconsidered for assessment and now again it was under consideration, he added.
Sharma said that there should be no variation in the minimum wage rate among states. He suggested that if it was difficult to fix the higher rates of minimum wages at the national level then minimum wage rate should be fixed by the central government at the regional level so that no state could fix their minimum wage rate below that.
He said that such decision would ensure equal growth of labour class at the regional level and they could be saved from exploitation.
Similarly, there would be no problem in the implementation of these rates.
The minister said that in Haryana the system of Variable Dearness Allowance had always remained an integral part of fixation of minimum wages and it has never been reshuffled. He said that after reassessment of minimum wages in about five years, dearness allowance based on inflation data was being notified after every six months on 1 January and 1 July.
Also, for work skills development, he suggested that workshops at state level should be organised for smooth functioning of the State Vocational Training Project.
Shiv Charan Lal Sharma was speaking at the State Labour Ministers’ Conference held at New Delhi. He said that Haryana government had always been very sensitive regarding the issue of minimum wages. The minimum wage rate of Haryana has always remained on the higher side, higher than the highest minimum wage rate in other states.
According to the policy of the state government, after about five years the minimum wage rate was reconsidered for assessment and now again it was under consideration, he added.
Sharma said that there should be no variation in the minimum wage rate among states. He suggested that if it was difficult to fix the higher rates of minimum wages at the national level then minimum wage rate should be fixed by the central government at the regional level so that no state could fix their minimum wage rate below that.
He said that such decision would ensure equal growth of labour class at the regional level and they could be saved from exploitation.
Similarly, there would be no problem in the implementation of these rates.
The minister said that in Haryana the system of Variable Dearness Allowance had always remained an integral part of fixation of minimum wages and it has never been reshuffled. He said that after reassessment of minimum wages in about five years, dearness allowance based on inflation data was being notified after every six months on 1 January and 1 July.
Next Story
