New Delhi: The poor of the city will sigh of relief as the state cabinet has given a nod to 33 percent hike in minimum wages and it will be effective from Feb 1.
Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit said that it would give the poor some respite amidst burgeoning food prices.
Now wages for unskilled labourers will be Rs.203 per day from Rs 163. Domestic maids and peons come under this category.
For semi-skilled labourers, it is now Rs 225 per day and for skilled labourers it will be Rs 248 per day.
With the revised rates, unskilled labourer now stand to earn Rs 5,272 per month while semi-skilled worker, including nursing orderly and those in construction would get Rs 5,850 per month. A skilled labourer like a carpenter or a plumber can earn Rs.6,448 per month.
“It was an unusual situation and we had to take up this matter before the Cabinet. The minimum wages set by Delhi government was lower than that of the Centre and in that case a labourer working on a Delhi government project would get paid less than one working on a government of India project. We had to remove this disparity.”
