Karnataka raises minimum wages by 60% across wage zones

The Karnataka government has announced a 60 percent increase in minimum wages for workers across the state, a move expected to benefit lakhs of employees in more than 81 scheduled occupations. Labour Minister Santosh Lad described the revision as the fulfilment of a longstanding demand of the labour community and said it would provide greater economic security to workers in the unorganised and specified sectors.

Under the new structure, the state has been divided into three wage zones. Zone 1 covers the Greater Bengaluru area, Zone 2 includes other city corporations and district headquarters, and Zone 3 comprises small towns and rural areas. Workers are classified into four categories: unskilled, semiskilled, skilled, and highly skilled. In Zone 1, unskilled workers will now receive a minimum monthly wage of Rs 23,376, semiskilled workers Rs 25,714, skilled workers Rs 28,285, and highly skilled workers Rs 31,114. In Zone 3, the minimum wage for unskilled workers is set at Rs 19,319, while highly skilled workers will earn Rs 25,714.

The notification replaces an earlier four-zone classification system and, for the first time, brings all scheduled employments under a single order....