AIUTUC says implement revised minimum wages immediately

AIUTUC State president K. Somashekhar and office-bearers releasing posters during a press conference in Hubballi on Friday. | Photo Credit: KIRAN BAKALE State President of AIUTUC K. Somashekhar has urged the State government to immediately withdraw its decision to keep in abeyance the revised minimum wages and ensure payment of the revised wages, including arrears, to workers.Addressing a press conference in Hubballi on Friday, Mr. Somashekhar said that the State government’s decision to constitute a Cabinet Sub-Committee to review the revised minimum wages, despite the completion of the statutory consultation process, is anti-worker and appears to have been taken under pressure from industrialists.“The AIUTUC Karnataka State Committee has decided to launch a State-level, round-the-clock protest at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on September 2, demanding immediate implementation of the revised minimum wages. Hundreds of workers and employees from across the State, including Dharwad district, will participate in the protest,” he said.Mr. Somashekhar said that the State government issued the final notification on May 22, 2026 revising minimum wages for 81 scheduled employments after extensive deliberations by the Minimum Wages Advisory Board.The board comprises representatives of workers, industries and officials from the Labour, Finance, Industries and Commerce departments.“The revision came after a gap of nearly nine years and followed several rounds of discussions and consultations. Government departments, corporations, boards and universities have also begun paying wages according to the revised rates in some cases,” he said.He questioned the decision to subsequently halt implementation of the revised wages in government departments, corporations, universities and other autonomous institutions and to constitute the Cabinet Sub-Committee for a fresh review.“The State government has had ample opportunity to examine the issue during the advisory board discussions and during the process of inviting objections to the draft notification. There is no justification for stopping implementation after the final notification has been issued,” Mr. Somashekhar said.He also rejected the argument that the revised wages will impose an excessive financial burden or force industries to move to other States.According to him, factors such as infrastructure, availability of electricity, transport facilities, access to markets and skilled manpower play a major role in determining industrial locations. He said that wage levels alone do not determine such decisions.Mr. Somashekhar said that the revised minimum wages have been arrived at on the basis of established principles and the cost of essential requirements of families of workers, including food, housing, clothing, education and healthcare, in view of the prevailing price levels.He said that the Finance and Industries and Commerce departments participated in the discussions on wage revision during July-August 2025 and that their officials have been part of the consultative process.“It is, therefore, difficult to understand why the implementation is now being stalled when the matter is before the High Court and no stay has been granted against the revised notification,” he said.The AIUTUC will demand the immediate implementation of the May 22, 2026 revised minimum wage notification, withdraw the Cabinet Sub-Committee constituted to review it and pay workers the arrears arising from the wage revision without further delay, he said.AIUTUC office-bearers Gangadhar Badiger, Bhuvana Ballari and others were present. Published - August 28, 2026 07:32 pm IST