SHILLONG: The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) of the Meghalaya State Council (MSC) has expressed strong opposition to the state government's recent revision of minimum wages, calling the increase insufficient for workers' needs.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, the union asked for the cabinet's decision to be reconsidered. AITUC MSC Secretary R. Thabah mentioned that during a meeting of the Minimum Wages Advisory Board on August 6 last year, led by Principal Secretary of the Labour Department C. Songate, it was agreed to raise wages for unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled, and highly skilled workers to Rs 681, Rs 749, Rs 824, and Rs 906 per day, respectively.
“We felt that the agreed-upon hikes would at least help us manage in light of inflation. However, to our dismay, the notification issued paints a completely different picture,” Thabah said.
In the recent cabinet decision, the revised daily wages were set significantly lower than expected. Highly skilled workers will now earn Rs 645 per day, an increase from Rs 586, while skilled workers will receive Rs 605, up from Rs 530. Semi-skilled workers will earn Rs 565, up from Rs 474, and unskilled workers will now make Rs 525, up from Rs 419 per day.
The All Jaintia Muster Roll Workers and Labour Union (AJMRWLU) had previously warned of a large-scale protest if the government failed to revise the basic floor wage within the agreed timeline, emphasizing growing dissatisfaction among the state's labor unions.
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