Kerala is considering higher minimum wages and wider bonus benefits for workers as part of its proposed state rules for implementing the central Labour Codes, according to an IANS report from Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday, November 4. A draft report containing key recommendations was handed over to Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan by Labour Minister Bindu Krishna on Wednesday.

Source: IANS via The Freedom Press

The most significant proposal is a change to the family unit used to calculate minimum wages. The existing unit of three members is proposed to be increased to five by including the worker's parents, which would raise the computed wage baseline and create scope for higher minimum wages across categories. The report also proposes bringing more workers under the coverage of bonus and other statutory benefits.

Source: Nation Press

What else the draft proposes

The committee has proposed free medical examinations for employees engaged in hazardous and dangerous work processes. The recommendations were prepared by a special committee formed at a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister on October 22, after discussions with trade unions and other stakeholders; the state-level amendments proposed earlier were examined by the Justice Gopal Gowda Committee, which submitted its recommendations on the required legal changes.

Source: IANS via HiIndia

These are proposals, not yet final rules. The draft report will now be examined by the state government as it proceeds with framing formal state rules under the Labour Codes, and the final notified rules will decide what actually changes for workers and employers in Kerala.

Source: The Hindu via MyPressToday