TUESDAY, MAY 07, 2024
PANJIM, APRIL 5
The Bombay High Court at Goa on Monday disposed of a writ petition filed challenging the draft notification proposing hike in minimum wages of private sector.
A Division Bench of Justice S J Vazifdar and Justice U D Salvi disposed off the petition following a statement by Advocate General Subodh Kantak that the government has not yet issued a final notification.
The petition was disposed off with a liberty to the aggrieved party to come before Court again.
M/s Rich Audio System operating from Verna Industrial Estate and Prakash Colour Carton Industries, based in Corlim industrial Estate through two separate petitions had challenged the draft notification and prayed for quashing of draft notification issued by the State Government under Section 5 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.
The notification issued on December 12, 2009, proposes to revise the minimum rate of wages payable to workmen in commercial or industrial establishments engaged in commercial, manufacturing and service activities from Rs 103 per day to Rs 150 per day.
The petitioners claimed that the government has not followed mandatory procedure. It did not go as per recommendations of the sub-committee on minimum wages for revising the minimum wages in Goa and instead hiked the minimum wages above 45 per cent while disregarding the norms for fixation as per the Minimum Wages Act.
According to them revision sought would be arbitrary, unreasonable, against public interest and violative of Article 14 and 19 (1) (g) of the Constitution of India.
Meanwhile, Goa trade Union filed an intervention application. With petition being the units industrial units will have to now wait till the government issues final notification effecting hike in daily wages.
