Background
Under Section 3 read with Section 5 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 (Central Act No. 11 of 1948), the Government of West Bengal is empowered to fix and periodically revise minimum rates of wages for scheduled employments in the State. West Bengal updates these rates every six months, in January and July, by revising the variable dearness allowance under each employment’s fixation notification.
The Labour Commissionerate (Statistics Section), Government of West Bengal, issued Circular No. 30/Stat/14/RW/24/2023/LCS/JLC dated June 22, 2026, with the approval of the Labour Commissioner, setting out the minimum rates of wages for 31 scheduled employments for the period July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026.
Applicability
The rates apply to employers in West Bengal across the 31 scheduled employments listed in the circular, covering manufacturing, shops and commercial establishments, IT, hospitality, healthcare, financial services, security and other specified industries. They also cover employees engaged through contractors in these employments.
The applicable minimum wage rates vary according to the establishment’s location in Zone A or Zone B and the relevant employment category. Employers should identify the applicable scheduled employment and geographical zone before determining the wages payable. For the detailed employment classifications, wage rates and other applicable conditions, please refer to the original notification issued by the West Bengal Labour Department.
Compliance Requirements
For the 26 scheduled employments whose rates were fixed or revised by the Labour Department notifications dated December 29, 2016, a uniform schedule of minimum wages applies for the period July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026, varying by skill category and zone. Not every employment has all four skill categories notified: some employments carry only an Unskilled rate, and some carry Unskilled, Semi-skilled and Skilled rates only, as shown in the second table below. The designation-wise classification of employees into skill categories (for example, Peon, Cleaner and Security Guard as Unskilled, or Clerk, Typist and Accountant as Skilled, under the Shops & Establishments employment) differs by employment and should be referred to directly in the circular.
Category of Worker | Zone A | Zone B | ||
Per Month (₹) | Per Day (₹) | Per Month (₹) | Per Day (₹) | |
Unskilled | 10,558 | 406 | 9,760 | 375 |
Semi-skilled | 11,615 | 447 | 10,733 | 413 |
Skilled | 12,777 | 491 | 11,807 | 454 |
Highly Skilled | 14,054 | 541 | 12,990 | 500 |
Sl. No. | Scheduled Employment | Fixation Notification No. | Categories Notified |
1 | Any establishment in which manufacturing activity as defined under Section 2(k) of the Factories Act is carried out and which is not covered under any other scheduled employment | Labr/639(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U |
2 | Automobile Engineering Repairing Workshops & Garages | Labr/640(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S, HS |
3 | Beverage Manufacturing & Vending Establishments | Labr/641(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S |
4 | Biscuit Manufacturing | Labr/642(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S, HS |
5 | Bottling and Packaging Industry | Labr/643(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S, HS |
6 | Clinical Establishments including Pathological Laboratories and Diagnostic Centres | Labr/645(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S, HS |
7 | Confectionery and Sweets Manufacturing | Labr/646(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S, HS |
8 | Consumer Co-operative Societies, Primary Agricultural Co-operative Societies / Marketing Societies | Labr/647(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S, HS |
9 | Courier Service | Labr/648(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S, HS |
11 | Establishments as defined under the Shops & Establishments Act, 1963 | Labr/650(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S, HS |
12 | Floor and Wall Tiles Manufacturing | Labr/653(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S, HS |
13 | Garments Manufacturing Industry | Labr/654(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S, HS |
15 | Hotels and Restaurants including Boarding Houses, Eating Houses, Canteens, Clubs and Guest Houses | Labr/655(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S, HS |
16 | Ice Cream and Candy Manufacturing | Labr/656(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U |
17 | Ice Factory | Labr/657(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S |
18 | Information Technology Industry | Labr/658(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U |
19 | Jewellery Manufacturing Industry | Labr/659(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U |
20 | Laundries, Laundry Services, Cleaning & Dyeing Plants & Shops | Labr/660(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U |
21 | Leather Goods Manufactory | Labr/661(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S, HS |
22 | Loading and Unloading Operations | Labr/662(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U |
23 | Malls, Multiplexes, Departmental Stores and Mega Stores | Labr/663(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S, HS |
25 | Non-Banking Private Financial Institutions | Labr/652(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S, HS |
26 | Private Hospitals & Research Centres not carried on by Government or Local Authorities | Labr/664(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S, HS |
28 | Rolling of Iron Rods, Plates, Angles etc. & Rolling Mills | Labr/665(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U |
29 | Saloons and Beauty Parlour | Labr/666(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S, HS |
31 | Wood Works and Furniture Industry | Labr/668(Law)/MW/2W-32/13 | U, SS, S, HS |
U = Unskilled; SS = Semi-skilled; S = Skilled; HS = Highly Skilled. Sl. No. corresponds to the serial number in the circular.
For the five scheduled employments whose rates were fixed by the Labour Department notifications dated December 20, 2019, the monthly rates differ marginally (by ₹2 to ₹4 per month) from those in Section 1. The daily rates are identical except for the Highly Skilled category in Zone A, which is ₹540 per day rather than ₹541. Employers in these employments should apply the rates below and not the common schedule in Section 1.
Category of Worker | Zone A | Zone B | ||
Per Month (₹) | Per Day (₹) | Per Month (₹) | Per Day (₹) | |
Unskilled | 10,556 | 406 | 9,758 | 375 |
Semi-skilled | 11,611 | 447 | 10,732 | 413 |
Skilled | 12,773 | 491 | 11,806 | 454 |
Highly Skilled | 14,050 | 540 | 12,988 | 500 |
Sl. No. | Scheduled Employment | Fixation Notification No. | Categories Notified |
10 | Employment in Engineering Units employing less than 50 persons | Labr/626/LC-MW | U |
14 | Glass Industry | Labr/627/LC-MW | U, SS, S, HS |
24 | Manufacture of Rubber Products | Labr/628/LC-MW | U, SS, S |
27 | Refractory Industry | Labr/629/LC-MW | U, SS, S, HS |
30 | Security Services | Labr/630/LC-MW | U, SS, S |
U = Unskilled; SS = Semi-skilled; S = Skilled; HS = Highly Skilled. Sl. No. corresponds to the serial number in the circular.
The applicable rate depends on where the establishment is located. Zone A comprises areas under Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, Notified Areas, Development Authorities, and Thermal Power Plant areas including Township areas. Zone B comprises the rest of West Bengal. The same skill category therefore carries a higher minimum wage in Zone A than in Zone B.
The following conditions apply uniformly to all 31 scheduled employments:
Penalty and Consequences
Under Section 22 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, an employer who pays an employee less than the minimum rate of wages fixed for that employee’s class of work, or less than the amount due under the Act, or who contravenes any rule or order made under Section 13 of the Act, is punishable with imprisonment for a term extending up to six months, or with fine extending up to ₹500, or with both.
Under Section 22A of the Act, any employer who contravenes any other provision of the Act or of any rule or order made thereunder, for which no specific penalty is otherwise provided, is punishable with a fine extending up to ₹500.
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