On September 23, 2024, the Government of Himachal Pradesh announced an important revision to the minimum wages applicable across various employment sectors, set to take effect from April 1, 2024. This change aims to enhance the livelihood of workers in the state and ensure fair compensation for their efforts.
Employment Categories Affected
The revised minimum wages will apply to a broad range of sectors, including:
- Agriculture
- Construction or Maintenance of Roads or Building Operations, Stone Breaking, and Stone Crushing
- Public Motor Transport
- Shops & Commercial Establishments
- Forestry Industries
- Chemical & Chemical Products
- Engineering Industries
- Tea Plantation
- Manufacturing Process (as defined in Clause (K) of Section 2 of the Factories Act, 1948)
- Hotel and Restaurants
- Private Educational Institutes
- Hydro Power Projects
- Pharmaceutical Industries
- Hospitals/Nursing Homes & Clinics
- Domestic Workers
- Safai Karamchari Employment
- Security Services
- Temples and Religious Places/Dharamshalas
- Workers at Toll Tax Barriers
Key Highlights of the Revised Minimum Wages
- Equal Pay for Equal Work: There will be no distinction between minimum wages based on gender or age. All workers performing the same or similar work will receive equal wages, promoting gender equality and fairness in the workplace.
- Regulation for Apprentices: Wages for apprentices will be regulated under the Apprentices Act, 1961, ensuring that young workers are compensated fairly during their training periods.
- Piecework Payment Structure: For jobs paid on a piecework basis, the wages must not fall below the time rate established for that category of work, safeguarding workers’ rights to fair pay regardless of their work method.
- Increased Wages in Scheduled Tribes Areas: A significant 25% increase over the revised minimum wages will apply in Scheduled Tribes areas within Himachal Pradesh, recognizing the unique challenges faced by workers in these regions.
The Categories of employees include:
The definition of unskilled/semiskilled/skilled/highly skilled will be as:—
Unskilled. —An unskilled employee is one who does operations that involve the performance of simple duties, which require the experience of little or no independent judgment or previous experience although familiarity with the occupational environment is necessary. His work may thus require in addition to physical exertion familiarity with variety of articles or goods.
Semi-skilled. —A semiskilled worker is one who does work generally of defined routine nature wherein the major requirement is not so much of the judgment, skill and but for proper discharge of duties assigned to him or relatively narrow job and where important decisions made by others. His work is thus limited to the performance of routine operations of limited scope.
Skilled. —A skilled employee is one who is capable of working efficiently of exercising considerable independent judgment and of discharging his duties with responsibility. He must posses a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the trade, craft or industry in which he is employed.
Highly Skilled. —A highly skilled worker is one who is capable of working efficiently and supervises efficiently the work of skilled employees.
Effective Date: April 1st 2024.
