Seeking Your Help: How Should We Classify Toll Employees for Fair Wages in Karnataka?

Dear Cite HR Members,

As we strive to ensure compliance with the Minimum Wages Act for the fiscal year 2023-2024 in Karnataka, we are in need of your valuable insights and input regarding the classification and skill levels of our toll employees. We are registered under the Shop & Establishment Act.

The primary objective of this exercise is to accurately categorize our employees and their corresponding skill levels within the organization. This is crucial to determine the appropriate minimum wage rates and ensure that our employees receive fair compensation in accordance with the legal requirements.

To this end, we kindly request that the Cite HR Members assist in defining skill levels for the following types of employees:

- Nursing Assistants
- Toll Collectors
- Toll Supervisors
- Lane Supervisors
- Lane Assistants
- Drivers
- Helpers
- Electricians

Regards

In the absence of a classification available in the notification pertaining to the scheduled employment/industry, the categorization shall be made by the employer considering the skill requirement for each category of employment. For example, if the basic rate or scale of pay of a Toll Collector is not available in the notification, then you can decide whether he belongs to unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled, or highly skilled. Obviously, a toll collector will not need any special skills to collect tolls, but can apply his mind to understand which kind of vehicle is coming on the way. Then you can decide what should be the way of communication he has to make with the payee of the toll, how should he approach the toll payee, etc.

In some trades like Nurses, Drivers, and Electricians, you will get minimum wages of the related industry, and the same can be implemented in your establishment also.

In addition to the basic pays, you should pay dearness allowance (that will be the same for all categories of employees under one scheduled industry) to all the employees. This DA part will change based on the CPI as published by the government in due course.

In the official site of the Karnataka Labour Commissioner's Office, there is no scheduled employment for Toll Plaza employees. Hence, your employees may be covered under "Employment not covered under any scheduled employments," Point no. 31.

Under this category, you may please go through the attached notification wherein you will find the skill category of the above positions and their corresponding Minimum Wages.

Regards,

Dear Mr. Siva,

I acknowledge that your establishment is registered under The Karnataka Shops & Commercial Establishments Act, 1961. If the minimum wages for shops and commercial establishments are applicable, please note the following job classifications:

1. Toll Collector - Bill Collector
2. Toll Supervisor - Technical Supervisor
3. Lane Supervisor - Supervisor
4. Lane Assistant - Assistant
5. Driver - Driver
6. Helper - Shop Assistant/Office Boy
7. Electrician - Skilled Labour/Technician

Please review the notification and set the applicable minimum wages based on the nature of the job performed. The designation in your company does not matter; what matters is the type of job performed.

Thank you.