National minimum wage raised to Rs115 per day from 1 April

The central government has revised the national floor level minimum wage (NFLMW) to Rs115 per day from Rs100 per day, effective 1 April 2011. The revision has been based on the increase in the all-India consumer price index for industrial workers, a government release said today.

The NFLMW is a non-statutory measure and applies to only scheduled employments.

The central government has requested all state governments and union territory administrations to fix or revise minimum wages in such a way that the minimum wage is not less than the national floor level minimum wage of Rs115 per day in any of the scheduled employments.

The concept of national floor level minimum wage (NFLMW) was introduced to bring in a uniform wage structure and to reduce the disparity in minimum wages across the country.

The NFLMW per day has been revised from time to time primarily taking into account the increase in the consumer price index for industrial workers. The national floor level minimum wage had been revised from Rs80 per day to Rs100 per day with effect from 1 November 2009.

In the central sphere, minimum wages were revised for workers engaged in agriculture, stone breaking and stone crushing, sweeping and cleaning, watch and ward, loading and unloading, construction, and non-coal mines with effect from 1 October 2010.