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Delhi

Diwali bonanza: Govt restores increase in minimum wages

NEW DELHI: The Delhi cabinet on Thursday restored the increase in the minimum wages that was junked by the Delhi high court on August 4. "Payment to those who have been directly employed on contract by the Delhi government, boards and corporations at minimum wage rates or those who have been employed by contractors in various works of the government shall continue to receive payments at rates prevailing before August 4," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told reporters here after the cabinet meeting.

It is pertinent to mention that the Delhi high court had on August 4 quashed the AAP government's much-touted March 2017 order revising the minimum wages for all classes of workmen in scheduled employment. The court had said the "hurried" decision was violative of the Constitution and was taken without hearing the employers or employees who would be affected.

With Thursday's decision, the minimum wages of unskilled workers stand increased from Rs 9,724 to 13,896 per month, for semi-skilled workers from Rs 10,764 to Rs 15,296 and for skilled workers from Rs 11,830 to Rs 16,858. These rates had come into effect on April 1, 2017, but were subsequently quashed by the high court.

The high court had said that the March 2017 notification that raised the minimum wages was completely flawed, and a decision taken in haste.

Sisodia said that the "Delhi government will also compensate the salaries as per the increased rates" to all those whose payment was either deducted or not given during the two months after the high court order.

He asserted that the state government had "all the rights to give an amount above and beyond the minimum wage rates" in the national Capital. "The state Chief Secretary has been mandated to ensure that every worker gets his money before October 31 so that he could celebrate Diwali with dignity," he said.

Sisodia said the government has preferred an urgent appeal to the Supreme Court and is working on all fronts to ensure payment of fair living wages even to private sector unskilled employees.

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