MYSURU, 25 OCT 

Department of Labour will revise the minimum wages for workers employed in unorganised sector from the existing Rs 14,000 per month, Labour Commissioner HN Gopalakrishna said on Friday.

As the minimum wages have not been revised for the last five years, the department will revise the price considering all aspects, including the increase in the cost of living, the rise in prices of essential commodities, he said. 

The commissioner was speaking at a one-day workshop on labour laws and its implementation in the State organised by the department, District Administration, Zilla Panchayat and District Legal Services Authority at Vidyaranyapuram in the city. 

Though labour organisations are demanding a minimum wage of Rs 35,000 per month, the department will not cede to that and fix an appropriate minimum wage, he said.

The commissioner also said more than 20,000 institutions are registered with the Labour Department. There are 65 lakh organised sector workers and 1.80 crore unorganised sector workers. 

The commissioner said his department is merging 25 labour-related laws into four laws and it will be completed next year.

To help the construction workers, the department has extended all security benefits, implemented seven projects for the welfare of construction workers. Social security benefits up to Rs 57 crore were distributed to more than 29 lakh construction workers last year, he said.

He appealed to all unorganised sector workers to register their names with E Shram portal to receive social security benefits provided by Central and State governments. So far, nearly 97 lakh from across the state were registered in this portal. —Salar News