Date:25/12/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/12/25/stories/2004122503661702.htm

Business - Briefly

Revision of minimum wages deplored

COIMBATORE: The Southern India Engineering Manufacturers' Association has appealed to the Centre to drop the proposed amendment to the Minimum Wages Act. In a release, its president, C. R. Swaminathan, said that it was learnt that the Centre proposed to increase the minimum wages from Rs. 1,500. At present, the units faced a number of problems owing to an increase in raw materials price, high power tariff and labour cost. A number of units struggled to pay even the minimum wages fixed by the State Government for 61 different types of employment in the State. In such a scenario, any increase in the minimum wages would hit the units further. Hence, it pleaded that the Centre should not revise the minimum wages.

Our Staff Reporter