Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 01 November 2023
The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has once again emphasized the pressing need for an immediate revision of minimum wages for scheduled employment in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. In a letter addressed to the Lieutenant Governor of A & N Islands, Mr. B. Chandrachoodan, the General Secretary of CITU’s A & N State Committee, voiced concerns regarding the protracted delay in revising these wages.
The last revision of minimum wages in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands took place in 2017, with the changes taking effect from January 1, 2018. According to CITU, the revision due from January 1, 2023, has been intentionally delayed by the administration, and the proposal remains pending.
Chandrachoodan pointed out that while the minimum wage for unskilled workers in Delhi is currently set at Rs. 673 per day after factoring in the Dearness Allowance (DA) due from October 1, 2023, the minimum wage for unskilled workers in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands stands at Rs. 538, creating a significant gap of Rs. 135 per day. Furthermore, CITU expressed disappointment that the DA for the period from January to June 2023 has also not been added to the existing minimum wages due to what they claim is intentional delay by the authorities concerned.
In their letter, CITU underscored the hardships faced by daily-rated workers in the islands, who have struggled to make ends meet due to the ever-increasing cost of living and the absence of wage revisions for the past six years. The trade union has been making continuous appeals to the administration to revise the minimum wages for scheduled employment, with the hope of providing some relief to these workers. However, the administration has reportedly continued to ignore these pleas, leaving the workers without the lawful wage increase they are entitled to.
The CITU’s renewed call for an immediate revision of minimum wages highlights the growing disparity between the wages of unskilled workers in Andaman & Nicobar Islands and their counterparts in other parts of the country, particularly the national capital, Delhi.
The delay in revising minimum wages in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands is seen as a matter of concern for CITU, which advocates for fair wages and improved living conditions for workers in the region. The trade union hopes that their appeal will prompt swift action by the administration to address the wage disparities and improve the financial well-being of workers in the islands.