NSHRC recommends hike in minimum wages; Nagaland government asked to act within 1-2 months

KOHIMA — In a significant move advocating for the rights of workers, the Nagaland State Human Rights Commission has urged the government to address the long-standing issue of stagnant minimum wages.

The commission, taking up a suo moto case, highlighted the plight of workers grappling with inadequate wages that have remained unchanged since 2019, and emphasised the state’s obligation to ensure a dignified standard of living for its workforce.

In an order dated July 9, 2024, the commission said that the Minimum Wages Act of 1948 mandates both the central and state governments to periodically review and revise minimum wages of workers employed in the scheduled employments, to keep pace with the cost of living.

Pointing out the stark reality of rising inflation over the last five years, the commission deemed the current wages — INR 176 per day for unskilled, INR 210 for semi-skilled, and INR 235 for skilled workers — as grossly inadequate.

“If a state government does not pay its employees/workers at least to meet their basic needs it would amount to exploitation and denial of right to live with dignity. Happening of such things would certainly not augur well in a democratic and welfare state. Therefore, we have no doubt that the Government of Nagaland would not desire to allow such things to even creep-in into our system,” read the order.

To strengthen its stance, the commission drew a comparison with neighbouring states like Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, all of which have implemented revised minimum wage structures in recent times. Details of these revised wages, including notification numbers and effective dates, were presented in the order.

Emphasising the plight of these workers, often belonging to the lowest socio-economic strata, the commission reminded the government of its responsibility as a welfare state to safeguard the well-being of its citizens.

“They are people who have no choice but work to manage their survival”, and inaction, on the part of the state government, “would amount to denial of equality and right to life which are protected by our Constitution. Moreover, it may also amount to forced labour against which every citizen is protected by the same Constitution”, the NSHRC asserted.

The commission also highlighted the central government’s practice of implementing a Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA), linked to the Consumer Price Index, as a measure to mitigate the impact of inflation on wages, a policy adopted by 26 states including the north-eastern states of Assam and Meghalaya.

This VDA is revised periodically twice a year to absorb the pressure of inflation on the minimum wages paid to the employees/workers, it said.

In light of these arguments, the NSHRC issued a strong recommendation urging the Nagaland government to take immediate steps to review and revise the minimum wages within the next two to three months.

The respondents — government of Nagaland represented by the Chief Secretary, Finance Commissioner, as well as the Commissioner and Secretaries of Personnel and Administrative Reforms and Labour and Employment — shall take the required steps so that the state government may consider and take the decision deemed just and fair, it stated.

Further, the chief secretary has also been directed to submit a report to the commission detailing the actions taken within one month.