Leh, May 17: The Union Territory of Ladakh is all set to undergo one of the biggest reforms in its history, with Lieutenant Governor, Vinai Kumar Saxena, approving the long-pending wage rationalisation for daily wagers, part-time and seasonal/need-based workers, engaged by the Ladakh Administration. Thousands of wage earners, who have been working for as low as Rs 300 to Rs 500 per month for the past several years, will benefit from this move. Many of these workers had been working for more than 10 to 15 years for such low pay. L-G Saxena has ordered payment of wages to these workers as per the Minimum Wages Act of the Government of India.
Under the new wage rationalisation framework, these workers will be categorised into “unskilled” and “skilled” workers. As per the new wage matrix, the skilled workers will be paid wages at the rate of Rs 575 per day, while unskilled workers will be paid at the rate of Rs 450 per day. The revised wages will be determined on a pro-rata basis, depending on their duty hours and the nature of work.
This will result in a manifold increase in the wages of these workers and thus bring a major relief for such wage earners, who have been working as sweepers, gardeners, cleaners, etc., in the Union Territory of Ladakh. These workers include a large number of migrant workers as well as locals, who were forced to work for such abysmally low wages due to the long-prevailing wage anomaly.
The decision follows a number of representations to the Lieutenant Governor from daily wagers engaged across different departments of the Administration, requesting the implementation of minimum wages for workers. Taking prompt cognisance of the issue, the Lieutenant Governor directed the concerned departments to undertake comprehensive verification of workers engaged after 17 March 2015, and ensure rationalisation of wages in a fair, transparent and uniform manner.
Lieutenant Governor Saxena observed that different departments in the UT Administration had engaged part-time, seasonal and daily-rated workers over the years at varying remuneration levels, resulting in major disparities in wages.
“UT Administration is fully committed to ensuring fair and dignified wages for all workers. Daily wagers, seasonal and part-time workers play a crucial role in strengthening public services and developmental activities across Ladakh, particularly in remote and challenging regions. Every worker deserves fair compensation for their labour and the Administration would do everything required for their welfare in a transparent and accountable manner,” Saxena said.
Lieutenant Governor Saxena has directed departments to verify the engagement details, nature of work, working hours and Aadhaar-linked bank details of all workers and submit verified data, within twenty days. The new wages will be paid to these workers strictly through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), into their bank accounts in a fair and transparent manner.
The Administration has clarified that the exercise is strictly a wage rationalisation measure and shall not be construed as a commitment to regularise services.
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