Karnataka govt hikes minimum wages of labourers by 60%

The Karnataka government on Saturday increased minimum wages for workers by 60 per cent, with labourers in Bengaluru now set to receive a minimum monthly wage of Rs 23,376 under the revised structure.

Announcing the decision, Labour Minister Santosh Lad said the move would strengthen economic security for workers and fulfil a long-pending demand of the labouring community across the state.

Under the revised structure, skilled workers in Bengaluru will be entitled to Rs 31,114 per month, while minimum wages in other parts of Karnataka will range between Rs 19,300 and Rs 21,251 depending on location and category.

Calling it a major labour reform, Lad said the revision had been carried out in line with directions issued by the Supreme Court while determining minimum wages.

“Our government has issued a notification increasing the minimum wages of workers by 60 per cent. Through this, our government has fulfilled a long-pending demand of the labouring community in the state,” Lad said in a post on X.

He said the revised wages would provide economic security to workers in the unorganised sector as well as employees in notified sectors and bring lakhs of workers under a more streamlined framework.

The minister also announced a structural change in the wage system, saying the government had done away with the earlier four-zone classification model and, for the first time, brought all scheduled employments under a single notification.

According to Lad, the revised wage structure is expected to directly benefit lakhs of workers employed across 81 scheduled occupations in Karnataka.

“This notification will provide economic security to workers in the unorganised sector and other specified sectors across the state. While determining the minimum wages, directions of the Supreme Court bench have been followed in carrying out this revision,” he said.

Lad thanked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, cabinet colleagues and experts for backing the Labour Department’s proposal.

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(with inputs from PTI)