World Day for Decent Work: Minimum wage rate lowest in Nagaland

Our Reporter
Dimapur, Oct. 7 (EMN): Nagaland state has the lowest minimum wage rate for unskilled employees among the north-eastern states with only INR 176 per day, informed advocate Limanochet during the World Day for Decent Work programme held at Assisi Auditorium, Dimapur, on Friday.

The minimum wage rate for unskilled employees in Assam and Meghalaya is INR 373 per day, INR 225 per day in Manipur, INR 270 per day in Mizoram and INR 300 per day in Sikkim, he updated.

Sharing a notification issued by the Labour and Employment Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Department of Nagaland in 2019, he said that the wage rate for unskilled employees in the state is INR 176 per day, INR 210 per day for semi skilled and INR 235 per day for skilled, adding that it hasn’t been revised despite the rise in the price of commodities.

On the significance of the occasion, he said that the day is dedicated to millions of workers around the world seeking wage justice.

In the context of Nagaland, he said the government should work in the interests instead the workers. He also called upon the employers not to exploit the vulnerability of their employees.

Pointing out that many workers experienced reduced salary and increased workload or both post COVID-19 pandemic, he said this generated a feeling of helplessness among the workers.

He said there is increasing numbers of employees trapped in the workforce with no job security and working long hours with minimal wages in unsafe environment.

He also said that many domestic workers face rampant caste-based discrimination, forcing many to hide their identity in order to get a job and to avoid prejudice.

Co-ordinator of Nagaland Domestic Workers Union (NDWU), Sr. Pramila Lobo said that all types of work, whether office or housework, have its own dignity and respect.

She said some of the decent work indicators are employment opportunities, adequate earnings and productive work, decent working time, stability and security of work, while lamenting that many domestic workers are struggling to make ends meet.

“Minimum wages in most of the states in our country are inadequate, leading these workers to continue to lose ground. Wage justice is a cornerstone of the social contract between workers, governments and employers that has been broken in the interests of corporate greed,” she stated.

While lamenting that workers usually don’t complain over fear of losing their jobs, Sr. Lobo went encouraged the workers to demand action to bridge the wages gap in the face of rampant inflation.