Minimum wage hike for unskilled labourers ‘historic’: Jaitley

New Delhi, Aug 31 (PTI) Finance Minister Arun Jaitleytoday said the "historic hike" in minimum wages to Rs 350/dayis a step forward in transforming India and labour reforms. To appease trade unions, the government yesterdayannounced a 42 per cent increase in the minimum wages forunskilled non-agricultural workers to Rs 350 per day from thecurrent Rs 246. Also, the government employees will be paid a wage bonusas per revised norms, for 2014-15 and 2015-16, a move thatwill entail a payout of Rs 1,920 crore. "Historic hike in minimum wages for unskillednon-agricultural workers to Rs 350/day is a step forward inTransforming India and labour reforms," Jaitley tweeted. The decision to pay bonus for years 2014-15 and 2015-16on revised norms reiterates government’s "commitment to workfor the benefit of workers". Trade unions, which are demanding minimum monthly wage ofRs 18,000 per month or Rs 692 a day and base pension of Rs3,000 a month have said however that they would go ahead withthe day-long strike on September 2. The strike call is being supported by almost all majorlabour unions except RSS-affiliated BMS, and may impactbanking and insurance services, power supplies and coalmining. PTI JD CSSA