Question : MINIMUM WAGES TO UNORGANISED WORKERS

(a)  whether the Government has revised the minimum wages of labourers employed in the unorganised and agricultural sectors;

(b)     if so, the details thereof;

(c)    whether there is any mechanism to ensure payment of minimum wages to the labourers/workers fixed by the Government; and

(d)     if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT(SHRI HARISH RAWAT)

(a)  to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.  

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 261 FOR 29.11.2010 BY SHRI MANSUKH BHAI D. VASAVA AND SHRI YASHBANT N.S. LAGURI REGARDING MINIMUM WAGES TO UNORGANISED WORKERS.  

(a) & (b): In the Central sphere, the minimum rates of wages were last revised on 1st October, 2010 under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. In State sphere, the minimum rates of wages are revised by the appropriate Governments from time to time. Minimum wages fixed for scheduled employments including agricultural sector are applicable to organized as well as unorganized sectors.  

A statement showing the latest information available on the minimum rates of wages for unskilled workers among all scheduled employments as well as for unskilled workers engaged in the scheduled employment of agriculture in the Central and State sphere is annexed.  

(c) & (d): Under Section 19 of the Act the appropriate Government may, by Notification in the official Gazette, appoint such person as it thinks fit to be Inspectors for the purposes of this Act.

The enforcement of the Act is secured at two levels. While in the Central sphere, the enforcement is secured through the Inspecting Officers of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) commonly designated as Central Industrial Relations Machinery (CIRM), the compliance in the State sphere is ensured through the State Enforcement Machinery. They 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 against the defaulting employers are invoked as per Section 22 of the Act.