(a) whether Employees in the Unorganised sector are being paid less than the stipulated minimum wages;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government have undertaken a survey in this regard;
(d) if so, the outcome thereof; and
(e) the measures taken by the Government to ensure that labourers in the Unorganised Sectors are paid the laid down minimum wages and to deal severely with offenders?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR (SHRI ASHOK PRADHAN)
(a) to (e): Under the statutory provisions of the Minimum Wages act, both Central and the State Governments are the appropriate Government to fix, revise and enforce minimum wages for the workers engaged in the scheduled employments which are mostly in the unorganised sector.
As regards enforcement of the Act it is secured at two levels. In the Central Sphere, it is implemented through the officers of the Central Industrial Relations Machinery and in the State Sphere, through the state enforcement machinery. The Inspectors of these machineries appointed under the Act, conduct regular inspections of the establishments and also investigate complaints and whenever they come across any case of non-payment or less payment of minimum wages, they advise the employers to make payment of shortfall of wages. There are legal and penal provisions also in the Act against the defaulting employers.