Trade unions urge CM D.K. Shivakumar not to withdraw revised minimum wage notification
A joint committee of trade unions on Saturday urged Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar not to review or withdraw the final notification revising minimum wages in
A joint committee of trade unions on Saturday urged Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar not to review or withdraw the final notification revising minimum wages in Karnataka, contending that the revision was long overdue and had been carried out in accordance with the law. A delegation led by Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) State General Secretary S. Varalakshmi met the Chief Minister at his home office, Krishna, and submitted a memorandum seeking the government’s intervention. The appeal comes in the wake of reports that the State Cabinet was considering a review of the recently notified minimum wages following objections from industry bodies.
In the memorandum, the trade unions said the revision of minimum wages, pending since 2017-18, had finally been completed for 39 scheduled employments after nearly eight years. “The government should not review or withdraw the final notification. It must stand with the workers,” the memorandum said. Delay a violation The unions argued that the prolonged delay in revising minimum wages was itself a violation of the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act and Supreme Court directions. Rejecting employers’ contention that wages had been increased by 60%, the unions maintained that the actual increase was around 40%.
The memorandum stated that the revision had followed a scientific and legally prescribed process. It noted that a draft notification proposing revised wages ranging from ₹19,300 to ₹31,114 was issued in April 2025, objections and suggestions were invited, and the final notification was issued after due consideration. Will benefit many According to the trade unions, the revised wages would directly benefit more than one crore working-class families in the State by increasing household incomes and improving purchasing power. The unions also argued that the additional annual expenditure of about ₹3,200 crore towards nearly 3.8 lakh contract and outsourced employees would constitute only a small fraction of the State Budget.
The memorandum, jointly signed by leaders of the Indian Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), CITU, and Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), urged the government not to yield to employers' demands for a review of the revised minimum wages.
The BriefWire