The Sikkim Progressive Youth Forum (SPYF) on Friday welcomed the labour department’s proposal for across-the-board hike of Rs 200 in the minimum wages of unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly-skilled workers and decided not to go ahead with its rally on the issue.

Shankar Sharma, a member of the forum, said even though it had demanded over 100 per cent hike in the minimum wages, the organisation was happy with the department’s proposal to hike the minimum wage from Rs 300 to Rs 500 for unskilled workers, from Rs 320 to Rs 520 for semi-skilled workers, from Rs 335 to Rs 535 for skilled workers and from Rs 365 to Rs 565 for highly-skilled workers.

“We had demanded that the minimum wage be increased to Rs 21,000 (monthly) from the present Rs 9,000 (for unskilled workers). But for now, we welcome the increase to Rs 15,000,” he said, adding that the forum was also satisfied that the workers would start getting their new wages from the date of the publication of the notification.

The forum, which is a pressure group that espouses various issues, had spearheaded the campaign for the raise in minimum wages and was due to hold a rally to protest the delay in the implementation of the hike that had been announced by chief minister P. S. Tamang (Golay) on May Day. “Now that the notification is out, there is no need to hold such a rally,” said Sharma.

The notification issued earlier in the week also proposed to raise the wages of workers in high-altitude areas. Those working up to an altitude of 8,000ft would be paid the normal wages of Rs 500 for unskilled jobs, Rs 520 for semi-skilled jobs, Rs 535 for skilled jobs and Rs 565 for highly-skilled jobs. Workers located between 8,001ft and 12,000ft shall get 50 per cent more than the normal wage, those between 12,001ft and 16,000ft 75 per cent more than normal and above 16,001ft double the normal.