Guwahati: The former chief minister of Sikkim Pawan Chamling on January 20 pledged to pay arrears and increased wages to the labourers employed by government agencies if Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) comes in the 2024 Assembly elections.
Further, Chamling charged that the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) administration had treated its departments’ employees unfairly by depriving them of the amended salaries.
”The SKM government has done injustice to the labourers of government departments by not paying them revised wages as compared to those employed in private companies. The government should have first implemented the new minimum wages for their labourers,” Chamling said while addressing the villagers of Daring during his ‘Sikkim Bachao’ campaign at Temi-Namphing constituency in South Sikkim.
It is important to note that Sikkim’s private businesses are required to pay their employees a minimum of Rs 15,000 per month under the Minimum Wages Act, which went into effect last July.
However, according to Chamling this has not been done for the labourers employed by various government agencies.
”Despite the notification which has been issued in this regard, the SKM government is doing great injustice to these labourers by not paying them the enhanced wages immediately after the notification was issued,” he added.
The former CM also urged people to vote for them and help them in coming to power.
”16 months are left for the next Assembly elections. Return our party to the government and on the same day the revised salaries along with arrears will be given,” he said.