Telangana Raises Labour Pay Scales, Focuses on Worker Welfare and Global Skills

In a significant move aimed at strengthening labour welfare, the Telangana government has announced a substantial hike in minimum wages for workers across the state, bringing relief to nearly 1.11 crore labourers employed in various sectors. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said the revised wage structure will come into effect from June 1, 2026 , describing it as one of the most important worker-centric decisions taken since the formation of Telangana. The announcement was made during a media briefing at the Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana Secretariat in Hyderabad in the presence of Labour Minister Gaddam Vivek Venkataswamy and other public representatives.

The state government said the decision was taken after extensive consultations with labour unions, employers and industry stakeholders, while also considering the sharp rise in inflation, house rents and essential commodity prices over the past few years. Officials noted that the revision is expected to benefit workers in both organised and unorganised sectors, including manufacturing, construction, transport, hospitality and service industries.

As part of the revised policy, the government has classified workers into four categories — unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled — and divided the state into three wage zones based on urbanisation levels. Municipal corporations have been placed under Zone-1, municipalities under Zone-2 and rural regions under Zone-3. Under the revised wages for Zone-1 areas, unskilled workers will now receive a minimum monthly salary of Rs 16,000 , compared to the earlier Rs 12,750. Semi-skilled workers will get Rs 17,000 , while skilled workers will receive Rs 18,500 . The minimum wage for highly skilled workers has been increased to Rs 20,000 , marking a sharp rise from the previous Rs 14,607.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy criticised the previous government, alleging that minimum wage revisions had been ignored for years after Telangana’s formation, forcing lakhs of workers to struggle with rising living costs. He said the Congress government constituted a Cabinet sub-committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka , along with ministers Duddilla Sridhar Babu and Vivek Venkataswamy , to conduct a comprehensive study before finalising the revised wage structure. Labour organisations have long demanded wage reforms, arguing that existing salary levels no longer reflected the economic realities faced by workers, especially in urban centres like Hyderabad.

The Chief Minister also stressed the importance of preparing Telangana’s youth for growing international demand for skilled manpower. He said countries such as Japan and Germany are offering large-scale employment opportunities and encouraged youngsters to learn foreign languages and improve technical skills. The government is also introducing specialised training programmes for workers migrating to Gulf and West Asian countries , ensuring they meet international company requirements while protecting them from exploitation by private agents and middlemen.

Highlighting the plight of migrant workers in the past, Revanth Reddy said even bringing back the bodies of workers who died abroad used to be a difficult process for families. He stated that the government is now extending support to affected families and providing Rs 5 lakh compensation in such cases. The Telangana government indicated that more labour welfare initiatives and worker protection measures are likely to be announced in the coming months as part of its broader employment and social security agenda.