Ranchi, Sept. 19: Tata Steel has decided to revise the minimum wages and pay coal mine workers more than what is listed in the Seventh National Coal Wage Agreement (NCWA).

The agreement was signed on September 18 in Jamshedpur, between representatives of the Intuc-backed Rashtriya Colliery Mazdoor Sangh and Tata Steel management for Jharia and West Bokaro collieries.

The company has also decided to pay employees more, in the terms of minimum and maximum rates of increment, and allowances.

Spokesperson for Tata Steel Prabhat Sharma, dubbed the agreement as ?historic? and ?ahead of its time?.

?The settlement is the first of its kind in the history of Tata Steel collieries. All the earlier settlements were done under the aegis of the NCWA,? he said.

He added that the union and management have shown ?high levels of maturity and understanding? in finalising a wage revision based on business imperative and mutual benefit. The step will improve the quality of life of its employees he added.

The wage agreement covers over 10,500 employees of the Tata collieries employed at Bhelatand, Jamadoba, Sijua pits 6 and 7, Digwadih collieries, Jamadoba coal washery and West Bokaro collieries.

The agreement was signed by company managing director B. Muthuraman, deputy-managing director (steel) T. Mukherjee, vice-president (industrial relations) Avinash Prasad and RCMS president Rajendra Prasad Singh.

The other guaranteed benefits include two additional increments to the colliery employees and an increase in the house rent allowance that has been increased from Rs 100 per month to Rs 125 per month. The allowance is 11 per cent of basic salary for those drawing up to Rs 9,000 a month.

and 13.5 per cent for those drawing above Rs 9,000 per month in the revised grade against what has been recommended in the NCWA VII.