The Nagaland State Human Rights Commission (NSHRC) has taken suo-moto cognizance of the Government of Nagaland not reviewing or revising the minimum wages of employees/workers of its employees in the last five years as specified in the provisions of the Minimum wages Act, 1948, that makes it “mandatory for both the Central and state governments to fix, review and revise the minimum wages of the workers employed in the scheduled employments under their respective jurisdictions periodically.”
The Commission reminded that the last time the State Government had reviewed and revised the wages payable to the employees in 2019. The wages fixed were as follows;
- Unskilled – Rs. 176/- per day
- Semi-skilled – Rs. 210/- per day
- Skilled – Rs. 235/- per day
“With the rise in the inflationary rate during the past 5 years it is difficult to imagine how the employees/workers of the State Government would manage both ends meet with the present wages they are given,” the Commission stated, adding that failure of the government its employees/workers at least to meet their basic needs it would amount to exploitation and denial of right to live with dignity. “Happening of such things would certainly not augur well in a democratic and welfare state”, it said.
NSHRC pointed out that the neighboring states of Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh have reviewed or revised the wages of their employees/workers in 2023 while Sikkim had completed the process in 2022.
Further, it mentioned that the Central Government, in order to protect the minimum wages against inflation has made provision of Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) linked to Consumer Price Index Number for Industrial Workers and the same has been followed by 26 States governments/Union Territory Administrations including some of the North-Eastern states like Assam and Meghalaya. This VDA is revised periodically twice a year to absorb the pressure of inflation on the minimum wages paid to the employees/workers, it said.
NSHRC reminded that the employees/workers of the State Government who are paid with minimum wages belongs to the lowest socio-economic strata of the society and failure to help them meet their basic needs and right to life would “amount to denial of Equality and Right to Life which are protected by our Constitution. Moreover, it may also amount to Forced Labour against which every citizen is protected by the same Constitution.”
Therefore, the Commission recommended that the Nagaland Government review and revise the wages of its employees/workers within the coming two-three months.
The Commission also sought response from the Chief Secretary on the action(s) taken in this matter, within a period of one month.
