HC asks for Delhi govt's stand on job postings on its website being advertised below minimum wages

Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the city government to inform its stand on a PIL alleging that job postings on its website were being advertised below the fixed minimum wage.

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) sought to direct the Delhi government to stop allowing any individual, company, organisation or establishment from advertising vacancies below the fixed minimum wages on the official portal of the Government of NCT of Delhi or any other place.

A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad asked the counsel for the Delhi government to take instructions from the authorities on the issue and listed the matter for further hearing on May 23.

Petitioner Mohd Imran Ahmad claimed in his plea that he was seeking protection of the fundamental rights of workers or labourers, enforcement of labour laws and termination of bonded labour in Delhi.

Santosh Kumar Tripathi, the Delhi government’s standing counsel, said private jobs were advertised during the COVID-19 pandemic and they do not belong to the government.

He said the government circular is very clear that minimum wages have to be adhered to.

The plea said the Delhi government had made an online portal on which thousands of job opportunities were being advertised.

It said various job opportunities, including office boy, field marketing employee, calling employee, cook, waiter, computer operator, relationship manager, kitchen helper, ambulance driver, peon, security guard and accountant, were being advertised below the prescribed/fixed minimum wages in violation of the government’s 2022 order.

”It is clear from the government portal that the labour laws are being grossly violated in the NCT of Delhi as job opportunities are being advertised below the fixed minimum wages,” the plea said.

The petitioner said he had approached the authorities for lawful payment of wages to employees but they failed to take any action.

The Delhi government on October 14 issued an order regarding minimum wages for unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workers. The minimum wages were also fixed in respect of clerical and supervisory staff in all scheduled employments.

The minimum wages fixed for unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled, non-matriculate, matriculate and graduate and above are Rs 16,792, Rs 18,499, Rs 20,357, Rs 18,499 and Rs 22,146 per month. These wages came into effect on October 1, 2022.