The Hindu : Karnataka News : Hike in minimum wages welcomed

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Monday, May 17, 2010
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Hike in minimum wages welcomed

Special Correspondent

It is now Rs. 150 per day

‘The 45 per cent increase in minimum wages justified'
Ensure increase is with retrospective effect: chamber

PANAJI: The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), a body representing trade and industry, on Saturday welcomed the new minimum wages of Rs. 150 that have been fixed by the Goa Government.

“While the chamber supports the cause of social justice and appreciates that there is an increase in cost of living indices, it wanted that the increase be based on a more scientific and realistic basis. Given the hike in overall costs of living, the 45 per cent increase in minimum wages seems justified,” said vice-president of GCCI Mangirish P. Raiker here on Saturday.

The chamber had urged the State Government to ensure that the increase in wages be applicable with retrospective effect. The chamber had also requested the Government to declare the provident fund-able portion of the minimum wages so that there was no friction with the Provident Fund authorities, he said.

The Goa Labour Minister, who signed the notification recently, said the State Labour Board had taken a decision long ago to increase the minimum wages to Rs. 150 per day in view of inflation. He, however, said the proposal to give the hike retrospective effect did not find favour with the State Law Department, causing further delay in issue of the notification.

Boost for MGREGA

Apart from trade unions in Goa, who were anxiously waiting for the notification, it is the Rural Development Agency (RDA) which also hopes to make some progress in the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act with the hike in wages.

In this State, the scheme had failed to take off, mostly in South Goa, due to the low minimum wages, Rural Development Minister Churchill Alemao had earlier said.

He had been favouring a hike in minimum wages to make the scheme attractive, especially in Salcete taluk and other parts of South Goa where the scheme has hit a roadblock in terms of worker disinterest.

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