New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party's trade wing Wednesday vowed to fight "tooth and nail" its own government's decision to hike minimum wages by up to 50 per cent and also threatened to call a strike, claiming the raise will lead to lay-offs and affect business.
Terming the decision as "unjustified", the outfit said it will raise the issue with Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
Following a meeting with trade associations here, Brijesh Goyal, the convenor of the body, said the upward revision in wages will not only lead to "laying off" of workers but also result in complete industrial and trade "shutdown" in the national capital.
Goyal had yesterday met Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Labour Minister Gopal Rai and conveyed their objections to the wage hike.
The Delhi Cabinet cleared the wage hike today.
General Secretary of the trade wing Vishnu Bhargava claimed all the trade unions were "united" on the issue.
"We will oppose it tooth and nail and go for a Delhi bandh if needed," he said.
Goyal said wages in Delhi were already the "highest" among north Indian states and more compared to Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal as well.
"We have sought time from the LG. We will also meet representatives of trade wings of other political parties. If everyone decides to go on strike, we will do the same," he said.
AAP's trade wing convenor also claimed that a further hike will make industries and trade uncompetitive and push up inflation.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced the government's decision to hike the minimum wages in his Independence Day speech.
After the revision, the minimum wages for unskilled person will be Rs 14,052 against the existing Rs 9,568 in the national capital. Besides, the same for semi-skilled and skilled persons will increase from Rs 10,582 to Rs 15,471 and from Rs 11,622 to 17,033 respectively.
