Punjab Assembly hikes minimum wages by 15% for first time in 14 years
The Punjab Legislative Assembly on Friday, 1 May 2025, unanimously passed a resolution increasing the base rate of minimum wages for labourers by 15 per cent — the first such revision in 14 years. The decision, taken at a special session convened to mark International Labour Day (Kirti Divas), ends a wage freeze that had kept the base rate unchanged since 2012.
The Resolution and What It Covers
The resolution was moved by Punjab Labour Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond and passed without opposition at the special Assembly session. The House recommended that the state government take immediate steps to enhance minimum wages, ensuring workers are fairly compensated for their contributions to Punjab's economy. The resolution does not specify an absolute revised figure but mandates a 15 per cent increase over the existing base rate.
Minister Sond told the House that while the dearness allowance had seen periodic revisions since 2012, the base rate itself had remained frozen — a gap that had, according to him, cost a significant section of the working population dearly. The passage of the resolution signals the state government's intent to formalise the hike through a formal wage notification.
Why the Session Was Historic
The special Assembly session was itself described as historic — convened reportedly after nearly 69 years to pay tribute to the working class on Labour Day. Minister Sond invoked the global origins of May Day, recalling the 1886 Haymarket Square movement in Chicago, which gave rise to the demand for an eight-hour workday and became a global symbol of labour rights and social justice.
He also drew on Punjab's cultural heritage, citing the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev and the principles of
