Despite trade unions in Goa not approving the minimum wage revision, the Labour Department has hiked the minimum wages in the State for all schedules of employment, by Rs 100. Unskilled workers who earned Rs 307 per day will now earn Rs 407 minimum wage per day. Similarly, semi-skilled workers who earned Rs 368 per day will now earn Rs 468 per day. Post revision, skilled workers will earn 523 per day as opposed to the Rs 423 they used to earn earlier.
The variable dearness allowance or VDA has also been increased by Rs 105. Therefore, unskilled workers will now earn Rs 407 plus VDA, which brings the amount to Rs 512 per day.
Goa probably offers the highest minimum wage. Yet, trade unions had rejected the revision. The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) is unhappy with the revision as it is way less than their demand of Rs 750 per day for unskilled workers. The Union feels the workers’ interests have been ignored and only the employers’ interests are being taken into account.
As a practice, the minimum wages are supposed to undergo revision at intervals of five years. However, the pandemic had disrupted this pattern, and after 2016, there has been no revision. However, VDA was hiked by Rs 92 across all categories in October, 2022.
