Gangtok: In the vision to boost the income of residents in the state, the Sikkim government has fixed a new wage rate for the workers in the state. The Sikkim government on Wednesday hiked the minimum wage for unskilled workers by 67 percent to Rs 500.
Labour Minister Lok Nath Sharma said, “The daily wage for unskilled workers was increased from Rs 300 to Rs 500 with retrospective effect from July 11, 2022. The daily wage for semi-skilled workers was increased to Rs 520 from Rs 320, while skilled workers will get Rs 535 instead of Rs 335 earlier and Highly-skilled workers will now get Rs 565 per day instead of Rs 365,”
The minister of the Himalayan state also said that these wages will be applicable for those working at an altitude up to 8,000 feet, while 50 percent more wages will be given to those working at altitudes from 8,001 feet to 12,000 feet.
Sharma further added that those working at altitudes of 12,001 feet to 16,000 feet will be paid 75 percent more than the normal wage and those working at places above 16,001 feet will get double the normal wage.
The local experts have also expressed their views on the new wage rate for the people in the state and said, the decision of the government to increase the wage rate of skilled and unskilled labor will surely help residents to improve their standard of living and it will increase the purchasing capacity of Himalayan people.
(Vinayak)