Benefiting labourers: AJK govt raises minimum wage to Rs14,000

Policy would also extend to people working on Neelum-Jhelum project


M A Mir December 20, 2016

MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Tuesday set Rs14, 000 as the minimum wage for unskilled workers.

According to a notification issued by Labour and Welfare Department in Muzaffarabad on Tuesday, all unskilled labourers working in private sector would be paid a minimum salary of Rs14,000 from July 2016.

The notification further said that the new wage policy will have to be implemented at all industrial, commercial, private schools , colleges, hotels, petrol pumps , private security companies, and other semiautonomous bodies in letter and spirit.

The policy will also extend to labourers working on the Neelum-Jehlum Hydro Power Project.

The notification added that any institution which does not implement the new wage policy would be prosecuted under the existing Labour Laws of Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The labour and other unskilled workers organisations appreciated the new wage policy.

Kashmir Council member Younas Mir hailed the government’s decision, terming it historic for the manual labourers in the region.

“The government should ensure that the new wage policy is implemented and violators are prosecuted under the existing labour laws,” Mir added.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21st, 2016.

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