Haryana raises floor wage
Haryana revised minimum wages effective April 1, 2026, setting the unskilled-worker floor at ₹15,221 per month and applying the rates equally to men and women (economictimes.indiatimes.com). The government also told employers they must ensure contractors comply with the new schedule, closing a practical loophole for many industrial units (economictimes.indiatimes.com).
Haryana has raised its minimum wage floor from April 1, 2026, with unskilled workers now due ₹15,220.71 a month across the state. (hrylabour.gov.in) The April 9 notification sets the new monthly minimums at ₹16,780.74 for semi-skilled workers, ₹18,500.81 for skilled workers, and ₹19,425.85 for highly skilled workers. It also lists daily rates of ₹585.41, ₹645.41, ₹711.56, and ₹747.14 for those four categories. (hrylabour.gov.in) The Haryana government issued the revision under Section 8 of the Code on Wages, 2019, after considering a committee report submitted under a February 4, 2026 notification. The state said the earlier wage schedule being replaced had last been revised on October 21, 2015. (hrylabour.gov.in) The order applies to establishments, factories, employees, workers, and contract labour covered by the wage code in Haryana. Brick kiln rates were left out and will be notified separately. (hrylabour.gov.in) One practical change is aimed at outsourced work: if a worker is hired through a contractor or service provider, the occupier or principal employer is “personally responsible” for making sure the minimum wage is paid. That shifts liability beyond the contractor on paper. (hrylabour.gov.in) The notification also says the wage is a basic minimum rate and cannot be broken up into allowances by the employer. Future adjustments will be linked to changes in the consumer price index under the Code on Wages Rules, 2026, with the base wage not allowed to fall below the newly fixed level. (hrylabour.gov.in) Haryana’s cabinet cleared the increase on April 8, and Labour Minister Anil Vij said the revision amounted to about a 35 percent rise across categories. He said unskilled wages were raised from ₹11,274.60 to ₹15,220, semi-skilled from ₹12,430.18 to ₹16,780.74, skilled from ₹13,704.31 to ₹18,500.81, and highly skilled from ₹14,389.52 to ₹19,425.85. (indianexpress.com) The same order says there will be no difference between wages for men and women workers, and no worker in Haryana can be paid less than the minimum set for a similar category with the same skills and experience. From April 1 onward, that makes ₹15,220.71 the floor rate the state says employers must actually deliver, whether payroll runs directly or through a contractor. (hrylabour.gov.in)
