Tamil Nadu Revises Minimum Wages for 87 Categories of Workers

The Tamil Nadu government has revised the minimum daily wages for 87 categories of workers across various sectors for the 2026–27 financial year. The revised wage structure, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), provides a significant increase in daily wages for skilled, semi-skilled, and unskilled workers.

Separate notifications issued by district collectors, including Chennai Collector S. Malathi Helan, stated that the revised wages will be effective from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027. The revised rates apply to all establishments covered under the Minimum Wages Act.

The wage revision has been calculated using the average Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers released by the Labour Bureau, Chandigarh. In Tamil Nadu, the CPI is based on data collected from Chennai, Coimbatore, Coonoor, Madurai, Salem, Tirunelveli, and Virudhunagar.

The revised wage rates cover workers employed in government offices, construction, shops and commercial establishments, hotels, hospitals, security services, tailoring units, printing presses, automobile workshops, hairdressing establishments, and several other scheduled employments.

Among the key revisions, the daily wage for a skilled assistant has increased from ₹556 to ₹823, while casual labourers will now receive ₹767 per day, up from ₹475. The daily wage for cleaners has also been revised from ₹637 to ₹904. Several other skilled occupations have received similar wage increases linked to the CPI.

The Chennai district administration has also revised the rates for services in hairdressing establishments. The charge for a haircut with shaving has been increased from ₹155 to ₹158, while the rate for shaving alone has been revised from ₹53 to ₹54.

The government has instructed all departments and employers to ensure that workers receive not less than the revised minimum wages, while departments paying employees from contingency funds must obtain prior government approval wherever wage revisions are required.