Workers to get minimum wage of Rs 19,550 effective today

Kathmandu, July 17: An agreement has been reached between the government, employers and labour unions to set the minimum wage for workers at Rs 19,550 per month.     

The agreement was reached at a tripartite meeting held at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security earlier today. Prior to this, the minimum monthly wage for workers was Rs 17,300. The agreement comes into effect from today, which is the first day of the new financial year 2082/83.     

As per the agreement, the monthly basic wage will be Rs 12,170 and dearness allowance will be Rs 7,380. According to the ministry, the daily basic wage is Rs 470 along with dearness allowance of Rs 284, while the basic wage per hour will be Rs 63 and dearness allowance Rs 38. However, the minimum wage per hour for part-time workers will be Rs 107.     

The minimum wage was reviewed as per Section 107 of the Labour Act, 2074 BS, which requires that the minimum wage for workers should be reviewed every two years. The ministry says the agreement will apply to all workers except for those working in estate and tea gardens.     

Speaking after the agreement, Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Sharat Singh Bhandari all parties should now work seriously and responsibly to implement the new minimum wage effectively.     

Coordinator of Minimum Wage Determination Committee and Joint secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Pradeep Koirala, said that the agreement was reached after a long consultation, coordination and in-depth discussions among all sides concerned including the workers.     

President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Chandra Prasad Dhakal, welcomed the agreement and described it as necessary to maintain sustainable labour relations. The agreement reached through transparent discussions and flexibility of all parties is acceptable for all sides concerned.     

Likewise, representative of the Joint Trade Union Coordination Center (JTUCC), Janak Chaudhary, said that the agreement was a victory for the workers, as it is for the first time that an agreement on the minimum wage has been reached by including our voices. Now, strong monitoring will be carried out to ensure its implementation.(RSS)