Haryana raises unskilled wage 35%

Haryana's labour department notified revised minimum wages on April 9, 2026, fixing the monthly rate for unskilled workers at ₹15,220.71 with effect from April 1, according to the state gazette. The notification applies across establishments, factories and contract labour covered by the Code on Wages, 2019. It also sets daily pay for unskilled workers at ₹585.41 and says men and women must receive the same wages. Separate Reuters-carrying reports published on April 11 and April 12 described the change as a 35% increase announced after worker protests in the state's auto belt. ### Which Haryana document is the key one here? The April 9 gazette is the primary document. It says the Governor of Haryana, acting under Section 8(3) of the Code on Wages, 2019, fixed or revised minimum rates for all employments in the state after considering recommendations from a committee and sub-committee constituted on February 4, 2026. (storage.hrylabour.gov.in) The same notification lists four categories: unskilled workers at ₹15,220.71 a month, semi-skilled at ₹16,780.74, skilled at ₹18,500.81 and highly skilled at ₹19,425.85. It says the rates are basic minimum wages and cannot be split into allowances by employers. ### Where does the 35% figure come from? Reuters-based reports carried by ETAuto and Deccan Herald said Haryana ordered a 35% increase in minimum wages after worker protests and factory disruptions in and around Manesar. (storage.hrylabour.gov.in) Those reports said the monthly minimum wage for unskilled workers was raised to about $165 from roughly $120, and linked the unrest to rising living costs. Deccan Herald's Reuters report said the decision came after clashes between police and workers in Manesar, south of New Delhi and home to Maruti Suzuki and hundreds of ancillary units. Ajay Kumar, identified in the report as a state official, said in a video address: "We urge the workers to peacefully carry on their work." (auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com) ### Does the gazette itself mention protests or a 35% rise? The gazette does not mention protests, inflation or a 35% figure. The official document is written as a wage-fixation order under the Code on Wages and sets the new rates from April 1, 2026. That means two separate facts are in circulation at once: the official Haryana notification establishes the new statutory wage floor, while Reuters-based reports provide the account that the move followed labour unrest in the auto-manufacturing corridor. (deccanherald.com) ### Who is covered by the Haryana revision? The notification says the rates apply in all establishments and factories defined under the law, and include employees, workers and contract labour. (storage.hrylabour.gov.in) It adds that principal employers are personally responsible for ensuring contractors or service providers pay the notified minimum rates. Brick kiln wages, however, will be notified separately. The order also says no worker in Haryana can be paid less than the minimum wage fixed for a similar category with the same skills and experience. It provides for 100% neutralisation of changes in the consumer price index on a pro rata basis under the Code on Wages Rules, 2026. ### How does Telangana fit into the picture? (storage.hrylabour.gov.in) Telangana has also announced a revised wage structure, according to the source material supplied for this story, with unskilled wages moving to ₹16,000 from ₹12,750 effective June 1. That places Haryana's April notification in a broader run of state-level wage revisions in 2026. ### What comes next in Haryana? (storage.hrylabour.gov.in) A separate Haryana gazette published on May 4, 2026 set out draft Code on Wages (Haryana) Rules, 2026 and invited objections and suggestions within 30 days of publication. The notice said submissions could be sent to the Deputy Labour Commissioner-2 at the labour commissioner's office in Chandigarh or by email. (sakshipost.com) The April 9 wage notification is already effective from April 1, while the draft rules process is the next formal step visible in the state's wage-law framework. (storage.hrylabour.gov.in 1) (storage.hrylabour.gov.in 2)