Gurgaon: A day after announcing a steep 35% increase in minimum wages, Haryana govt on Thursday issued a notification bringing the revised pay structure into effect. District administrations directed the labour department to ensure immediate and effective implementation of the revised structure across all industrial units. Officials said enforcement teams will begin inspections to verify compliance, especially in manufacturing clusters where contractual workers make up a large share of the workforce.Deputy commissioner Ajay Kumar said directions have been issued to the labour department officials for effective implementation of increase in the minimum wage in Gurgaon so that workers receive full benefit of the decision and labour laws are strictly enforced.“Haryana govt has issued a notification for the increase in minimum wage rates to be given to workers, and this wage hike will come into effect from April 1, 2026,” said the deputy commissioner. He urged all industrial units and organisations in the city to cooperate in implementing the govt’s decision to raise minimum wages for workers on a priority basis.“In such a scenario, protecting the rights of workers and providing them fair remuneration is shared responsibility of the govt and the industrial sector,” said the DC. He added that the wage increase is an important step towards improving workers’ standard of living, ensuring economic security, and strengthening social balance.He also appealed to industrial units and associations to adopt the public welfare measure in a positive spirit and implement it effectively in their establishments.Urging workers to resume duties, Kumar said, “All workers should adopt a positive approach, return to work at their establishments, and cooperate in carrying forward production activities smoothly.” He added that the govt and administration are fully committed to protecting workers’ interests.Industry bodies, however, criticised the move, saying the wage hike was announced in haste without adequate consultation. They argued that the sharp rise in labour costs would strain businesses already dealing with higher input prices and volatility in global markets. “The proposal to increase the minimum wages was tabled before the cabinet on Wednesday and within a few hours it was accepted. On Thursday, the notification was issued. It never happened so fast. It should have been done after proper consultation,” said Deepak Maini of the Progressive Federation of Trade and Industry (PFTI).
