Lok Sabha Question No. 1241 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-24
Subject: Minimum Wages to Contract Workers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: R. GOPALAKRISHNAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1241 TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.07.2017

## MINIMUM WAGES TO CONTRACT WORKERS

1241. SHRI R. GOPALAKRISHNAN:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)whether  the  Government  has  proposed  Rs.  10000/-  minimum  monthly wages for contract workers in the country;
- (b)if so, the details along with the implementation status thereof;
- (c)whether there are demands for equal pay for both the contract and regular workers of the country; and

(d)if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government thereon? ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI BANDARU DATTATREYA)

(a) & (b): Revision of minimum rates of wages per day payable to workers including  the  contract  workers  under  the  Minimum  Wages  Act,  1948  is  a continuous  process.  Under  the  Act,  the  appropriate  Government,  both  the Centre  and  the  States,  fixes/revises  the  minimum  wages  in  scheduled employments  falling  in  their  respective  jurisdiction.  The  minimum  rates  of wages under various employments in the Central Sphere has recently been revised vide Government of India notifications dated 19th January, 2017 as per the details below:

|   S. No. | Name of employment   | Notification No.   |
|----------|----------------------|--------------------|
|        1 | Agriculture          | S.O. 186(E)        |
|        2 | Non-Coal Mines       | S.O. 187(E)        |
|        3 | Construction         | S.O. 188(E)        |
|        4 | Stone Mines          | S.O. 189(E)        |

Contd..2/-

|   5. | Sweeping and Cleaning Excluding Activities prohibited under Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993   | S.O. 190(E)   |
|------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------|
|    6 | Watch and Ward -Upgradation of security guard                                                                                                          | S.O. 191(E)   |
|    7 | Loading and unloading                                                                                                                                  | S.O. 192(E)   |

(c) & (d): In so far as for employees engaged on contract basis performing same work and duties as the regular employees are concerned, the Contract Labour  (Regulation  &  Abolition) Central Rules, 1971  [Rule  25(2)(v)(a)], stipulates as under:

'In  cases  where  the  workmen  employed  by  the  contractor perform the same or similar kind of work as the workmen directly employed by the principal employer of the establishments, the wage rates, holidays, hours  of  work  and  other  conditions  of  service  of  the  workmen  of  the contractor  shall  be  the  same  as  applicable  to  the  workmen  directly employed  by  the  principal  employer  of  the  establishment  on  the  same  or similar kind of work;

Provided that in the case of any disagreement with regard to the type  of  work  the  same  shall  be  decided  by  the  Deputy  Chief  Labour Commissioner (Central).'

The details regarding the number of cases received/disposed of during the last two years under rule 25(2)(v)(a)&(b) of the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Central Rules, 1971 is as under:

| Year                                   | 2015-16   | 2016-17   |
|----------------------------------------|-----------|-----------|
| Number of cases received including B/F | 41+44=85  | 71+08=79  |
| Order Issued                           | 13        | 37        |
| Pending                                | 71        | 42        |

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