The Ministry of Labour & Employment has notified revised minimum wage rates for employees under the Central Sphere across various scheduled employments. These include agriculture, mining, construction, loading/unloading, sweeping & cleaning, watch & ward, and stone mines.
The revision reflects inflation-linked adjustments through VDA and applies uniformly across Area classifications A, B, and C as per the 2017 notification. The VDA has been rounded off to the next higher rupee in accordance with the Minimum Wages Advisory Board’s decision.
The revised wages apply to workers engaged in:
- Agricultural operations
- Construction and building maintenance, including underground cabling and utility lines
- Loading/unloading at railways, ports, airports, warehouses
- Sweeping and cleaning (excluding prohibited manual scavenging)
- Watch & Ward duties (with and without arms)
- Mining operations (surface and underground)
- Stone mines (piece-rated tasks like excavation, stacking, and crushing)
The detailed wage structure—comprising basic wages and revised VDA—is enclosed in the official notification. It includes sector-wise and area-wise breakdowns for each worker category.
👉 View the Official Notification – Minimum Wages
Employers under the Central Sphere must ensure implementation of these revised rates from 01.10.2025. Non-compliance may attract penal provisions under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.
For classification of cities into Areas A, B & C, refer to Annexure I of the notification dated 19th January 2017.
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For advisory support or payroll alignment, feel free to reach out at deepak.khanduri@gdsnco.in