Workers to get pay at earlier minimum wages rates: Sisodia

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 18

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said today that those directly employed on contract basis by the Delhi government, boards and corporations at minimum wage rates will receive payments at rates prevailing before August 4.

The Delhi High Court (HC) had on August 4 struck down the AAP government’s March 2017 order revising the minimum wages for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled categories of workers in the capital. The court had observed that the “hurried” decision was violative of the Constitution and was taken without hearing the employers or employees who would be affected. Thus payments to all those, who were getting paid at minimum wage rates, got reduced following the order.

Sisodia said during his visits to government schools in recent days, many sanitation workers, security guards and other workers engaged on contract complained to him about the reduction in their wages after the HC order. To add their past enhanced payments too being recovered in the wake of the August 4 order, he added.

Sisodia said if reduced payments were made as a result of the HC order or if any deductions were made, such workers will be paid balance amounts equal to the amount of deduction for the intervening period on or before October 31 to enable them to celebrate Diwali with dignity.

The government has tasked Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash to ensure deductions made from August 4 till date is credited to the accounts of the personnel before October 31.

He said the government has preferred an urgent appeal to the Supreme Court and is working on all fronts to ensure payment of fair living wages even to private sector unskilled employees.