Question : Mimimum Wages to Construction Workers

(a)whether the minimum wages paid to the construction workers in Government Projects is uniform throughout the country and if so, the details thereof;
(b)whether the Government has issued any Central Notification for payment of minimum wages to labour engaged under any of the Central Projects;
(c)whether all the States/UTs are strictly following the uniform pattern for payment of minimum wages to the labourers and if so, the details thereof; and
(d)if not, the reasons therefor and action taken by the Government to ensure payment of minimum wages to the labourers engaged in the Central Projects throughout the Country?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

(a) to (d): Under the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, both the Central and the State Governments are the appropriate Government in their respective jurisdiction. The Scheduled employments and minimum rates of wages fixed in terms of section 4 of the Act in respect of any scheduled employment including construction may vary from one jurisdiction to another, in different localities within a jurisdiction and in different classes of work in the
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same scheduled employment. The current minimum rates of wages as applicable to the employees engaged in the employment of construction under the jurisdiction of the Central Government are at Annexure. The minimum rates of wages in respect of the State jurisdictions are not centrally maintained. Authorities statutorily appointed for the purpose by the appropriate Governments, i.e. the Central Government and the State Governments, are entrusted with the responsibility to enforce the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, including payment of prescribed minimum wages. The enforcement in the Central sphere is secured through the inspecting officers of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) commonly designated as Central Industrial Relations Machinery (CIRM) and in the State Sphere through the State Enforcement Machinery. The designated inspecting officers conduct regular inspections and in the event of detection of any case of non-payment or under-payment of minimum wages, they direct the employers to make payment of the shortfall of wages. In case of non-compliance, penal provisions prescribed under Section 22 of the Act are taken recourse to.

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