National minimum wage unchanged for eight years

Labour experts say millions hit as wages aren't hiked to at least factor in inflation

- SURYA SARATHI RAY

THE NONBINDING NATIONAL Floor Level Minimum Wage (NFLMW) has remained unchanged since 2017, a situation that could worsen the income crisis among vast sections of population, mainly daily-wage workers.

Proper and timely revision of NFLMW by the Centre, typically conducted once every two years and factoring in the rise in the consumer price index for industrial workers (CPI-IW), would have enabled millions of workers in sectors like plantations and services to benefit from the economy's buoyancy and escape poverty, provided states has followed the norm.

Since it has only persuasive value, the Centre can only request the states and union territories to fix and revise the minimum wages for all scheduled employments in their respective domains, ensuring they are not below the NFLMW.

“The NDA government has taken credit for having passed the Wage Code in August 2019. In fact, none of the four labour codes has been implemented. Minimum wage is the bare minimum a worker should get. If it is not revised periodically, labour welfare will be seriously affected. It is time for the NDA government to implement the Wage Code and establish a statutory national floor-level minimum wage, which will benefit millions of workers,” said labour economist K R Shyam Sundar.

Barring a couple of states, most of the states keep mini-

INCOME DISPARITY