SC: Courts Must Curb Unlicensed Money Lenders; Probes Need Not Wait For New Law  ||  SC: Gratuity May be Withheld While Criminal or Disciplinary Proceedings are Pending Against Employee  ||  SC: Weapon Recovery Useless Without Proof Linking it to Crime under Section 27 Evidence Act  ||  SC: Fines Also Run Concurrently When Sentences For Multiple Offences Run Concurrently  ||  SC Dissolves 10-Year Estranged Marriage, Quashes 80+ Cases in 'Matrimonial Mahabharata' Dispute  ||  SC: Board Resolution Signature Alone Doesn’t Prove Director’s Knowledge of Company Affairs  ||  Raj HC: Industrial Tribunal Allowing Workman Legal Representation But Denying Employer is Unequal  ||  Karnataka HC: Service Bonds Enforceable on Students With Subsidised Education, Not Bonded Labour  ||  Gauhati HC: Challenge to Marks Barred by Constructive Res Judicata When Party Accepts Limited Remand  ||  SC: Cheque Dishonour Complaint Can't be Quashed Pre-Trial if Sec 138 NI Act Conditions Met    

Code on Wages Bill 2017- (Press Information Bureau) (05 Sep 2017)

MANU/PIBU/1149/2017

Labour and Industrial

As part of labour law reforms, the Government has undertaken the exercise of rationalisation of the 38 Labour Acts by framing 4 labour codes viz Code on Wages, Code on Industrial Relations, Code on Social Security and Code on occupational safety, health and working conditions.

1. The Code on Wages Bill 2017 has been introduced in Lok Sabha on 10.08.2017 and it subsumes 4 existing Laws, viz. the Minimum Wages Act, 1948; the Payment of Wages Act, 1936; the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965; and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976. After the enactment of the Code on Wages, all these four Acts will get repealed. The Codification of the Labour Laws will remove the multiplicity of definitions and authorities leading to ease of compliance without compromising wage security and social security to the workers.

2. At present, the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act and the Payment of Wages Act do not cover substantial number of workers, as the applicability of both these Acts is restricted to the Scheduled Employments / Establishments. However, the new Code on Wages will ensure minimum wages to one and all and timely payment of wages to all employees irrespective of the sector of employment without any wage ceiling.

3. A concept of statutory National Minimum Wage for different geographical areas has been introduced. It will ensure that no State Government fixes the minimum wage below the National Minimum Wages for that particular area as notified by the Central Government.

4. The proposed payment of wages through cheque or digital/ electronic mode would not only promote digitization but also extend wage and social security to the worker. Provision of an Appellate Authority has been made between the Claim Authority and the Judicial Forum which will lead to speedy, cheaper and efficient redressal of grievances and settlement of claims

5. Penalties for different types of violations under this Code have been rationalized with the amount of fines varying as per the gravity of violations and repeat of the offences. Provision of compounding of offences has been made for those which are not punishable by a penalty of imprisonment.

6. Recently, some news reports have been published regarding the fixation of minimum wage as Rs. 18000/- per month by the Central Government. It is clarified that the Central Government has not fixed or mentioned any amount as "national minimum wage" in the Code on Wages Bill 2017. The apprehension that minimum wage of Rs. 18000/- per month has been fixed for all employees is, thus incorrect, false and baseless. The minimum wages will vary from place to place depending upon skill required, arduousness of the work assigned and geographical location.

7. Further, the Code on Wages Bill 2017, in the clause 9 (3), clearly states that the Central Government, before fixing the national minimum wage, may obtain the advice of the Central Advisory Board, having representatives from employers and employees. Therefore the Code provide for a consultative mechanism before determining the national minimum wage.

8. Some reports have also been appearing in the media regarding the revised methodology for calculation of minimum wages by enhancing the units from three to six. It was purely a demand raised by Trade Unions in the recent meeting of the Central Advisory Board on Minimum Wages. However it is clarified that such proposal is not part of the Code on Wages Bill.

Tags : WAGES BILL   LABOUR LAW   REFORMS  

Share :        

Disclaimer | Copyright 2026 - All Rights Reserved