KUMARHATTI: Following the pressure created by AITUC, the state government has finally agreed to hike the minimum wages in four industrial workers’ categories from January 1st this year. This was stated by the AITUC state head, Mr. Jagdish Bhardwaj here today. He said the government had earlier decided to follow the hike from the current financial year but it was AITUC efforts which steered the hike clear from January.
Mr. Bhardwaj, a former member of Wages Board said that the wages of un-skilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled laborers have been hiked to Rs. 3,000, Rs. 3,185, Rs. 3,350 and Rs. 3,600 respectively. Other than this the Board has also agreed to give 10 percent of wages as house rent to labourers based in industrial area classified as A & B like Baddi, Barotiwala, Nalagarh, Nalagarh , Solan , Kalaa Amb, Paonta Sahib , Damtal etc., he asserted.
It was also decided to form a sub committee of Board to consider the promotion of Himachalis in managerial levels after 2-3 years of experience in junior positions besides ensuring the 70 percent employability of Himachalis in units, he said. To counter the housing trouble in industrial area the Board has advised to only to allow those units in state that ensured 50 percent housing facilities to it total manpower, he maintained.
the organization has suggested the Board to link the wage increment to the national price index like it was being done in Punjab, Haryana and New Delhi.
