LAHORE, April 28: The Punjab government notified on Sunday minimum wages of the industrial workers of various categories in the province on the recommendations of the Minimum Wages Board.

According to an official handout, the minimum wages would also apply to the workers of 52 more industries.

The minimum per month wages of ministerial workers will be Rs2,750 to Rs3,111, highly skilled workers Rs2,850 to Rs3,190, skilled workers Rs2,800 to Rs2,690, semi-skilled workers Rs2,550 to Rs2660, un-skilled workers Rs2,500 and miscellaneous workers Rs2,600 to Rs3,050.

The per thousand rates for brick layer/Pathaiwala (ordinary bricks) will be Rs184, for special brick layer/Gutka brick layer Rs218, Nikasiwala Rs46 and for Donkeyman/Rehrawala Rs60.

The wages of small units powerlooms industry weaver vary from Rs3.10 to Rs5.20 per pick per hundred meters of cloth produced. The rates of blanket weaver of woollen textile industry will be Rs19.68 per piece.

The workers of following 52 industries will also be covered by the notification.

Auto vehicles’ body building, beverage, brick kiln, cycle and cycle parts manufacturing, cotton textile, cotton ginning and pressing, carpet, chemicals and dyes, cutlery and allied goods.

Cinema houses and film studios, ceramics, cement, dairy products, electric goods manufacturing (including fans), fruit products, food products, flour mills, foot wear, Government Weaving and Finishing Centre, Shahdara.

Glass, hosiery and knitted goods, hotels and restaurants, iron and steel (foundries and workshops), ice and cold storage, jute, leather (including Artificial leather), motor road transport, metal (primarily concerned with utensils), mining and quarrying (other than coal mines), plastic products.

Paper and printing, perfumes, cosmetics and other toilet preparations, pharmaceutical, rice milling, readymade garments, sewing machine and parts, soap and detergent, silk and rayon, surgical, medical and dental instruments equipments manufacturing.

Sports goods, shops and commercial establishments, small units powerlooms, steel re-rolling, sugar, tanneries, textile printing, dyeing and finishing, vegetable, ghee and edible oils, wood and wood products (including furniture and fixture), woollen textile, cigarettes manufacturing, petroleum refining, match box manufacturing.

The employers in their respective industries shall pay wages to the workers according to the notification, subject to the condition that the existing wages where higher than the minimum wages now fixed by the government shall not reduced in any case.

The employers shall, however, be free to pay higher wages either unilaterally on their initiative or by collective agreement in view of any special consideration, including higher grade of skill or experience or cost of living in a particular locality or other reasons.

An adult female worker shall get the same minimum wages as fixed for a male worker for work of equal value.

The following deductions shall be allowed from the wages of workers on providing housing accommodation land transport:

For providing housing accommodation: Rs20 per month.

For providing transport: Rs5 per month.