This page shows the current applicable minimum wage for workers in the Sugar Industry in West Bengal, set out by skill category. Use the rate table below to check the wage that applies to a specific role in a West Bengal sugar mill or allied unit.
Minimum wage rates for Sugar Industry in West Bengal
| Skill category | Zone A / month | Zone A / day | Zone B / month | Zone B / 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 |
Rates effective 1 July to 31 December 2026.
What counts as Sugar Industry
The Sugar Industry scheduled employment covers the manufacture of sugar from sugarcane, including cane weighment and crushing, juice extraction and clarification, boiling, crystallization, centrifuging and packing, together with allied operations such as molasses and bagasse handling and, where notified, attached distilling and bagasse-based power generation.
- Sugar mills and sugar factories that crush cane and manufacture crystal sugar
- Khandsari and jaggery (gur) manufacturing units
- Sugar refineries producing refined and graded sugar
- Distilleries attached to sugar factories that process molasses into ethanol or alcohol
- Bagasse-based co-generation power plants within sugar complexes
- Cane collection, weighment and yard centres that feed the mill
Typical roles and skill categories
- Cane yard and cane carrier worker
- Boiler operator and boiler attendant
- Pan boiler (pan man)
- Centrifugal machine operator
- Sugar bagging, weighment and packing worker
- Mill fitter and machinery mechanic
- Sugar house chemist and laboratory assistant
- Turbine and co-generation plant operator
- Field cane development supervisor
In the Sugar Industry, unskilled roles typically cover cane unloading, bagasse handling and general helpers, semi-skilled roles cover centrifugal operators, weighment clerks and packing attendants, skilled roles cover pan boilers, boiler operators, fitters and electricians, and highly-skilled roles cover process chemists, turbine or co-generation operators and distillery process staff.
Who fixes this wage
The Sugar Industry is a notified scheduled employment for which the West Bengal government fixes minimum wages by skill category, and often by zone, under the applicable minimum wages law. The rates are revised periodically by the West Bengal labour department and apply to all covered establishments engaged in this employment.
How West Bengal sets minimum wages
West Bengal's Labour Commissionerate splits the state into two zones, A and B, and gives four figures for each skill category: a monthly and a daily rate in Zone A and again in Zone B. Four skill grades are covered, and the schedule runs for the half-year from 1 July to 31 December 2026. Revision comes through periodic notification rather than a variable dearness allowance.
Common questions
What is the current minimum wage for Sugar Industry in West Bengal?
In West Bengal, the minimum wage for Sugar Industry currently runs from about ₹375 to ₹541 per day and ₹9760 to ₹14054 per month, depending on skill category and zone, effective 1 July to 31 December 2026. The exact figure by category is in the table below. Confirm the exact rate for your worker's skill category and zone in the table above, and against the latest official notification.
Do the Sugar Industry minimum wages in West Bengal apply to seasonal crushing-season workers as well as year-round staff?
Yes, the notified minimum wage for the Sugar Industry in West Bengal applies to workers engaged in the employment whether they are hired only for the crushing season or retained through the year, with the wage set by each worker's skill category as shown in the rate table on this page.
Are workers in an attached distillery or a bagasse-based co-generation plant covered by the Sugar Industry minimum wage?
It depends on how the West Bengal notification defines the scope of the Sugar Industry scheduled employment and whether the distillery or co-generation unit is treated as part of the sugar factory or as a separate scheduled employment, so check the scope of the notification alongside the rate table shown here.
How is the minimum wage decided for a sugar factory located in a rural area of West Bengal?
The West Bengal government commonly fixes minimum wages by zone, such as different area or municipal classifications, in addition to skill category, so a sugar factory's applicable rate can vary with its location; the rate table on this page reflects the current applicable figures for each category.
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