Background
Under Section 6 of the Code on Wages, 2019, the appropriate Government is empowered to fix and periodically revise the minimum rates of wages payable to employees. In exercise of this power, the Governor of Meghalaya, through the Department of Labour, Employment & Skill Development, issued Notification No. LE&SD.9/2023/Pt/33 dated October 8, 2026, revising the minimum rates of wages, inclusive of Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA), for employees across the unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled categories in the State, with effect from October 1, 2026.
The notification supersedes the Department’s earlier Notification No. LE&SD.9/2023/Pt/26 dated May 1, 2026, and has been issued with the concurrence of the Finance (Pay Revision) Department vide I/D No. F(PR)-86/2026 dated September 16, 2026. The Director of Printing & Stationery, Meghalaya, has been directed to publish it in the Extraordinary Gazette.
Applicability
The revised rates apply to all employers in the State of Meghalaya in respect of every employee performing skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled, manual, operational, supervisory, managerial, administrative, technical or clerical work for hire or reward, classified across the four skill categories of unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled. As the notification is issued under the Code on Wages, 2019, its coverage is not confined to a list of scheduled employments and extends to establishments such as shops and commercial establishments, factories, construction works, hotels and restaurants, security agencies, agricultural operations, domestic work, and casual or contingency engagements, wherever the employer is located in the State.
Compliance Requirements
With effect from October 1, 2026, employers must pay not less than the following daily minimum rates of wages, each comprising a basic minimum wage and the revised VDA. The basic component is unchanged from the previous notification; the revision is effected through the VDA component.
Category of Worker | Basic Minimum Wage (₹/day) | Revised VDA (₹/day) | Total Minimum Wage (₹/day) |
Unskilled | 525 | 39 | 564 |
Semi-skilled | 565 | 43 | 608 |
Skilled | 605 | 45 | 650 |
Highly Skilled | 645 | 48 | 693 |
Employers must classify each employee into the correct skill category to determine the applicable rate. An unskilled occupation is one that requires only basic operating experience and no further skill. A semi-skilled occupation requires skill acquired through on-the-job experience, applied under the supervision or guidance of a skilled employee, and includes supervision over unskilled occupations. A skilled occupation involves skill and competence gained through on-the-job experience or apprenticeship training at a technical or vocational institute, and calls for initiative and judgement. A highly skilled occupation requires a specific level of perfection and competence acquired through intensive technical or professional training or considerable practical experience, together with full responsibility for the judgements or decisions involved in the work.
Penalty and Consequences
Under Section 54 of the Code on Wages, 2019, underpayment of wages attracts a fine up to ₹50,000, while a repeat offence within five years attracts imprisonment up to three months, a fine up to ₹1,00,000, or both. Other contraventions of the Code, rules or orders attract a fine up to ₹20,000, with repeat offences within five years punishable by imprisonment up to one month, a fine up to ₹40,000, or both. Failure to maintain or properly maintain records attract a fine up to ₹10,000.
Under Section 54(3), the Inspector-cum-Facilitator must generally provide the employer an opportunity to comply within a specified period before prosecution, except in cases of repeat violations within five years. Under Section 56, offences punishable with a fine only or imprisonment up to one year may be compounded by a Gazetted Officer specified by the appropriate Government.
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