"Whatever the recommendations of the state-level minimum wages board are, what matters is the employers capacity to pay. As of now, the government is not in a financial position to implement the revised wages," Lalrinliana said while addressing the media.
He said the government was shocked by the ongoing indefinite hunger-strike staged by the trade unions despite the initiatives the government had taken to improve the labourers' condition. After a few days of tools-down strikes, the trade unions, under the banner of Mizoram Trade Union, resorted to indefinite fast starting from March 14, demanding immediate implementation of the state-level minimum wages boards recommendations.
Highlighting the governments initiatives for labour welfare during the past two years, the Labour Minister said, "The Congress ministry, a few months after it assumed office, revised the minimum wages which came into effect on April one, 2009." To strengthen the labour department, four labour officers' posts have been created and Darsiamliana, who had 26 years of experience under the ministry of labour, had been roped in and posted as a deputy labour commissioner on deputation, the minister said.
"We enacted the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Condition of Service) Act, 1996, in 2009 and introduced workers cess at the rate of one percent from the total estimated cost of any contract work for labourers welfare," Lalrinliana said adding Rs 23 lakh had been earned through the cess.
Under the Mizoram Workmen's Compensation Rules, 2009, which is the first of its kind in Mizoram, the compensation had been given to three workers during last year, the minister said.
''Considering that the state government has done for labourers' welfare, such agitations are really uncalled for," he added.
Slamming the trade unions' agitation, the minister said that revision of minimum wages within less than two years is not justifiable whereas the Minimum Wages Act, 1984 states that the minimum wages may be revised within a maximum of five years.
"Anyway, the employers capacity to pay should be taken into consideration while making a revision on the minimum wages. Even it the workers are deserving the revised wages, the government as of now does not have the financial capacity to pay the wages," Lalrinliana said.
The Minister also announced that the government "has been compelled" to adopt a no-work-no-pay policy from March 17.
The Minister also stated that Mizoram government pays the highest minimum wages among the Northeast Indian states, except for Assam.
"Mizoram is the first to have implemented the Indian Labour Conference (ILC) 1957 norms in the Northeast," he said.
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