Delhi government to crack down on minimum wage violators

The Delhi government had implemented minimum wage slabs in March last year. According to the revised pay scale, workers in the unskilled category should get Rs14,000 per month, semi-skilled Rs15,400 per month and skilled workers Rs 16,962 per month.

The Delhi government will launch a 10-day awareness and enforcement drive to implement minimum wages in the city, labour minister Gopal Rai said on Tuesday.The campaign begins on December 10.

As part of Delhi government’s campaign, 10 enforcement teams of the labour department will inspect firms and factories to check if owners are paying government minimum wages.(Reuters File / Representative Photo)

As part of the campaign, 10 enforcement teams of the labour department will inspect firms and factories to check if owners are paying government minimum wages, the minister said.

According to the revised pay scale, workers in the unskilled category should get R 14,000 per month, semi-skilled R 15,400 per month and skilled workers Rs 16,962 per month.

“If anyone is found violating rules, the government will initiate action in accordance with the Minimum Wages (Amendment) Act, 2017,” the minister said. The government has issued a helpline number 011-155214 on which complaints can be lodged.

The minister said employers found not paying minimum wages may be fined Rs 50,000 or a jail term extending to six months or more according to the law.

“The increase in the minimum wages has been widely publicised through newspapers to aware the employers, owners of the firms and factories and workers. All the associations in nine labour districts of Delhi, where we have made enforcement teams, have been informed about the new wages. The inspection drive will be conducted between December 10 and December 20,” Rai said.

In March last year, the government had implemented minimum wage slabs. But on August 4 this year, the high court quashed the notification, saying it was a “hurried” decision.

On October 31, the Supreme Court allowed the government to implement the existing wages while asking it to work on a new pay scale and submit a report before January 31. Accordingly, the government proposed new minimum wages for contractual workers, which have been uploaded on the website .