LAHORE, Sept 10: On the recommendations of the Minimum Wages Board Punjab, the Punjab government has notified minimum wage rates for all categories of workers except supervisory staff employed in 51 different industrial and commercial sectors.

According to a handout issued on Tuesday, the rates will be applicable from July 1.

An overall increase of 11.11 per cent had been made in minimum wages of all kinds of workers after which the minimum wage range had increased for ministerial, highly skilled, skilled, semi-skilled, miscellaneous and unskilled categories from Rs10,867 to Rs12,037, Rs11,535 to Rs12,037, Rs11,033 to Rs11,301, Rs10,365 to Rs10,565, Rs10,365 to Rs11,870 and Rs10,000, respectively.

Earlier, the last minimum wage range for these categories was Rs9,780 to Rs10,833, Rs10,382 to Rs10,833, Rs9,930 to Rs10,171, Rs9,329 to Rs9,509, Rs9,329 to Rs10,683 and Rs9,000. Wages for supervisory staff had been left for mutual bargaining between employers and workers.

The existing wages now fixed shall not be reduced. The employers shall, however, be free to pay higher wages either unilaterally or by collective agreement in view of any special consideration, including higher grade of skill or experience or higher cost of living in a particular locality or other reasons.