Government may raise minimum daily wages to Skilled / Semiskilled workers by up to 25%

The government may raise the minimum wages in the country by as  much as 25% and also make them binding on all states, a move aimed at improving  the lifestyle of the poor and giving an indirect boost to the rural economy.

A senior government official told ET that the labour ministry is considering  three groups for states and union territories based on the per capita income and  minimum wages for the unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled category of workers in  each of the provinces.

The ministry recently increased the National Floor Level Minimum Wage to Rs  160 per day from Rs 137, with effect from July. This translates into a monthly  salary of Rs 4,800 for an unskilled worker, but is only advisory and is not  mandatory for states to follow. As a result, wages are very low in some states  leading to unrest among workers.