Representational image | Photo Credit: BCCL

Key Highlights The wages of the contractual workers engaged in the government-hired firms or private firms will be increased by 11 per cent, n October 9, 2019, the Union Cabinet decided to hike the dearness allowance given to central government employees by 5% with effect from July 1, 2019

New Delhi: The Delhi government notifies the hiked minimum wage rates which were recently approved by the Supreme Court. According to the latest notification, from earlier Rs 14,000, the unskilled workers will now receive Rs 14,842 per month. Similarly, the semi-skilled workers used to get Rs 15,400 earlier, will now get Rs 16,341 per month, the minimum wage has been revised to 17,991 from Rs 16,962 per month.

It may be noted that the wages of the contractual workers engaged in the government-hired firms or private firms will be increased by 11 per cent, according to a news report in a national publication.

Delhi's Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal stated that employees will also get a dearness allowance (DA) from April to Septemeber and one month's salary as Diwali bonus. "This is an important step to tackle recession and poverty in the city. The Supreme Court verdict on our minimum wage policy is the result of our five-year struggle. It will ensure that an economically weaker man has enough money to sustain himself and his family. With more money, the workers will spend more. This will increase economic production in the market, which will boost employment and revive the economy,” Kejriwal said at a press conference.

Worth mentioning that on October 9, 2019, the Union Cabinet decided to hike the dearness allowance given to central government employees by 5% with effect from July 1, 2019. Union Minister Prakash Javdekar said that this move will benefit nearly 50 lakh central government employees and 65 lakh pensioners.

Javdekar said, "this is the highest ever 5 percentage points increase in DA in one go by the central government," adding this will bring cheers to the government employees on the eve of Diwali.

However, on October 14, the Supreme Court finally gave its approval to the Delhi government to notify the enhanced minimum wages. "If we had got into a setting with the 44 associations, who challenged the decision of the government in the court, this would not have been possible. We fought for the rights of the poor. The national-level minimum wage is Rs 4,628 per month, and in Delhi, it is Rs 14,842 per month," the CM said.

"We have taken many measures with regard to the implementation of the policy. We removed 1,373 contractors associated with government agencies, who were not giving minimum wages. Also, we conducted two special drives upon complaints of minimum wage violation and charged 100 cases of violation of the same. We also took cases of cheating against six employers who used to illegally withdraw money from the employee’s accounts using the latter’s ATM cards, after depositing the wages as per the minimum wage policy," he further added.