New Delhi, December 31: Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government is mulling a fixed minimum wage and pension for workers in informal sector such as maids, drivers, sweepers, guards, etc. Besides, the government is also contemplating the minimum monthly pension for six crore workers in the organised sector.

The Ministry of Labour and Employment has sent a revised The Code on Wages Bill to the Cabinet. It introduces a mandatory minimum wage for informal sector workers, reported Indian Express. The government may fix the minimum wage at Rs 9,900 per month. The Code was first introduced in Parliament in August 2017.

"The proposal was to come up on December 26 but was deferred following a last-minute review by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It may now come up for approval on January 2," sources were quoted as saying. The Prime Minister's Office wanted to introduce the Bill in the winter session of Parliament. The Code proposed that minimum wages be made a legal right for all workers. Universal Basic Income to be Rolled Out by Narendra Modi Government Before 2019 Lok Sabha Elections: Report.

The Bill was intended to replace four existing laws on wages, bonuses and remuneration. The revised Code also allows labour unions in the unorganised sector to keep a tab if the employers pay workers’ wages by the seventh day of every month and daily working hours are fixed. It also allows unions to ensure a mandatory day off every week.

The revised Code also proposes to institute a labour inspector who will examine working conditions and ascertain that workers are being paid the National Minimum Wage. The employee-friendly labour codes will have to be approved by the Cabinet and introduced in Parliament before Lok Sabha elections are announced, perhaps in March, 2019, said the report.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 31, 2018 08:38 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).