On November 28th, 2024, the Government of Punjab issued a notification revising the minimum wage rates across the state, which will come into effect from September 1st, 2024.
This revision follows the updated Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures, as the government has shifted to a new series of the CPI for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW), based on a 2016=100 index.
The revised minimum wage rates cover various categories of workers, ensuring fair compensation aligned with inflation and living costs.
Key Changes and Details:
- Base CPI Index: The average CPI number for six months ending August 2013 (Base Index) was 227. A new CPI series (Base 2016=100) was introduced by the Labour Bureau in November 2020.
- CPI Adjustment: The new CPI series has been linked to the old CPI series, and for the period from March 2024 to August 2024, the average CPI number was 399.52.
- Minimum Wages for Un-Skilled Workers: As per the revised calculation, the minimum wage for un-skilled workers has been set at Rs. 10,996.04, effective from September 1st, 2024.
Revised Wage Rates – Key Categories
The revised minimum wage rates are categorized across different worker skills and employment types.
Table 1: Revised Rates of Minimum Wages for Various Worker Categories
This table outlines the adjusted rates for workers in the following skill categories:
- Un-Skilled
- Skilled
- Semi-Skilled
- Highly Skilled
Table 2: Minimum Wages for Staff Categories
This table provides the revised minimum wages for Staff Categories A-D, which apply to:
- Scheduled Employments under the Government of Punjab
- Local Authorities, Boards, Corporations, and any agencies under the control of the Punjab Government
- Outsourced or Casual Employees and those employed on a daily wage basis.
Table 3 and Table 4: Minimum Wages for Agricultural Workers
- Table 3 lists the minimum wage rates for attached agricultural laborers (un-skilled workers).
- Table 4 provides the minimum wages for other categories of agricultural labor, detailing the daily wage rates in Rs. for various job roles.
Table 5: Brick Kiln Piece Rate
- This table defines the minimum piece rate for brick kiln workers, specifically Rs. per 1000 bricks/tiles.
