Odisha Government on Friday raised the minimum wages for all four categories of employees which will benefit over 50 lakh workers of the State.
The Labour and Employees State Insurance Department brought out a notification which stated that minimum wages now stand revised at Rs 200 (unskilled), Rs 220 (semi-skilled), Rs 240 (skilled) and Rs 260 (highly skilled) per day.
This is a significant jump over the earlier wages of Rs 150, Rs 170, Rs 190 and Rs 205 for the four categories of workers who are engaged in 88 different kinds of professions. The hike, effectively, means a raise of over Rs 1,500 per month for a worker.
The Centre had earlier effected a hike in minimum wages slab to Rs 160, up from Rs 137 per day. An adult employee can work for eight hours per day excluding half an hour’s rest.
Chairman of Odisha Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board Subash Singh said 50 lakh workers engaged in private establishments will benefit from the hike. About two lakh DLR and NMR workers of the State Government will also be entitled to the raise.
This hike is also likely to raise the labour rates in construction industry.
Prasanta Patnaik