Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced a 15% increase in minimum daily wages for workers in both government and private sectors on May 1, 2026, during a special Labour Day session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha. This marks the first wage revision since 2013. Mann stated the hike was intended to ease cost-of-living pressures and improve income security for daily wage earners, calling it a long-overdue present for workers. The announcement occurred amid a politically charged atmosphere, with opposition Congress MLAs alleging that the Chief Minister appeared intoxicated and demanding a breath analyser test. Mann dismissed the allegations, asserting the opposition lacked substantive issues to raise.