Employment Minister Agni Deo Singh says they will be working with other line ministries to ensure that whatever national minimum wage is determined is suitable for all.

Singh says they have sent invitations to employers and workers to nominate their representatives on the ten wage councils, which were removed by the previous administration.

Singh says they are waiting for the nominations, and following this, they will be establishing those tripartite bodies and endorsing them through the Employment Relations Advisory Board.

“We have already advertised for a consultant. The ERAB is going to appoint again the minimum wage subcommittee, and then we are going to go through this consultation process with the employers and the worker organizations throughout the country in the coming months and then determine the minimum wage, which is actually the responsibility of the tripartite Employment Relations Advisory Board.”

Singh says that unlike in the past, where the consultant actually determined the minimum wage, the consultant will advise the Employment Relations Advisory Board of the options and a suitable minimum wage.

He says the ERAB will then advise the minister.

“Once we have identified and selected the consultant in the next couple of weeks, we will determine the time frame with the consultant, and then ERAB will, of course, draw out a program and draw up a program of consultation with all the relevant stakeholders.”

Singh hopes they will be able to complete the exercise soon.