Mann govt’s May day gift to labourers: 15% hike in minimum wages

Attacking the previous SAD-BJP and Congress governments, he said, “Two previous regimes passed without revising wages for these hardworking and resilient people who are the backbone of society. On May Day, which symbolises the historic global struggle of labour, I pay rich tributes to those who sacrificed their lives in Chicago in 1886 to secure genuine service conditions”.

He added, “The working and labour class must come forward to usher in an era of development, peace and prosperity, and observe May Day not just historically but by taking a solemn pledge to safeguard their rights. The government has taken this historic initiative for their well being and will further strengthen their welfare through increased registration.”

Earlier, Labour Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond tabled the resolution on the revision of wages saying it paid homage to labourers on the International Workers’ Day.

““Today, a special session of this Legislative Assembly has been convened on ‘Kirti Divas’ (Workers’ Day) to pay homage to our labourers. Workers are the axis of construction of the nation, the community, the state and society. Every construction project succeeds only through their blood and sweat. ‘May Day’ is celebrated in memory of the workers who sacrificed their lives during the historic movement at Haymarket Square, Chicago, in 1886 to demand an 8-hour workday. This day signifies the importance of social justice and better labour facilities.

“The base rate of minimum wages for the working class in Punjab was last revised in the year 2012. Although the dearness allowance has continued to increase since 2012, there has been no increase in the base rate of minimum wages,” read the resolution.

It further added that on the occasion of May Day, “This House proposes to revise and increase the minimum wages of labourers…so that the contributions of the workers can be acknowledged”.

Earlier, the Punjab Congress held a dharna outside the Vidhan Sabha demanding that the state government announce a hike in the wages of labourers and unskilled workers. State Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said that the special session was a mere drama on part of the AAP government as it had done nothing during the last four years when it had a chance to bring in laws for the welfare of the labourers.

“The special session at the fag end of its term has only exposed AAP and proven that it only wanted a drama in the name of labourers. The actual labourers are struggling and protesting while the AAP government is taking token vows for their welfare,” Warring said.

Warring demanded that the minimum daily wage should be raised to Rs 750. Besides, the monthly wages for labourers should be between Rs 15000 to Rs 17,000 per month, for the semi-skilled it should be between Rs 19,000 to Rs 20,000 and for the skilled labourers it should be between Rs 20,000 to Rs 22,000.

He promised that once Congress forms the government after the 2027 elections, it will ensure minimum Rs 750 daily wage for labourers and will consider all other demands sympathetically.

Earlier, before the start of the session, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa too demanded that the Bhagwant Mann government hike the wage of unskilled labourers to Rs 600 per day. He said the Haryana government pays Rs 18,000 per month as minimum wage and “Punjab should raise it and make it more than Haryana”.

Interacting with reporters, Bajwa also demanded that the government clear the pending dearness allowance of government employees worth Rs 14,500 crore. “Until it is done, I request that the chief minister’s pay, my pay as the Leader of Opposition, and the pay of the entire state cabinet, MLAs, IAS and IPS officers be stopped,” he said.