Lok Sabha Question No. 1508 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-01
Subject: Unemployment
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Rama Devi, Darshana Vikram Jardosh, Giridhari Yadav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1508 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.07.2019

## EQUAL RATE OF WAGES

†1508. SHRIMATI RAMA DEVI: SHRIMATI DARSHANA VIKRAM JARDOSH: SHRI GIRIDHARI YADAV:

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

- (a)whether the Union Government faces any impediments in implementing
- equal rate of wages in every State and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)the steps so far taken by the Government to remove these impediments;
- (c)the outcome of the said steps;
- (d)whether the Government is planning to increase the wage structure as since last few years the cost of living has increased sharply and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)the action taken by the Government to improve lifestyle of labourers by increase of wages and health facilities?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

(a) to (c): Under the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, both Central and State Governments are appropriate Governments to fix, review and revise the minimum wages of the workers employed in the scheduled employments under their respective jurisdictions. Rates fixed in the Central sphere  are  applicable  to  establishments  under  the  authority  of  Central Government,  railway  administration,  mines,  oil-fields,  major  port  or  any corporation established by a Central Government. Employments other than the scheduled employments for central Sphere come under the purview of State Government and accordingly State Government wages are applicable in such employments.

Office of Chief Labour Commissioner (C) carries out regular inspections under Equal Remuneration Act to ensure equal rate of wages for work of same and similar nature. The details of  the inspections conducted by  organization  of  Chief  Labour  Commissioner(C)  in  the  establishments  of Central Sphere under the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 for the years 201516 to 2018-19 (upto March, 2019) is enclosed as Annexure- 'A'.

(d) & (e): In  order  to  protect  the  minimum  wages  against  inflation, the  Central  Government  mooted  the  idea  of  Variable  Dearness  Allowance (VDA) in terms of recommendation of the Labour Ministers' Conference held in  1988.  Accordingly,  in  the  Central  sphere,  Variable  Dearness  Allowance (VDA)  is  revised  twice  in  a  year  effective  from  1st  April  and  1st  October every year on the basis of Consumer Price Index number.

The  ESI  Corporation  is  also  running  over  156  Hospitals, 1500 Dispensaries and also having tie up with 1500 Hospitals all over India to  take  care  of  the  health  facilities  of  Insured  Persons.  Moreover,  20  new Hospitals are also under construction to take care of the health of Insured Persons.  The  rate  of  the  ESI  contribution  under  ESI  Scheme  has  been reduced  from  6.5%  to  4%.  The  employee  share  of  contribution  has  been reduced from 1.75% of the wages to 0.75% of the wages. Notification No. GSR 423 (E) dated 13.06.2019 has been published in the Gazette of India by the Government, which shall be effective from 01.07.2019.

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ANNEXURE 'A'

Annexure  referred  in  part  (a)  to  (c)  of  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question  No. 1508 for 01.07.2019

Equal Remuneration Act. 1976

|   Sl. No. | Particulars                    |   2015- 16 |   2016-17 |   2017-18 |   2018-19 (Upto March,2019) |
|-----------|--------------------------------|------------|-----------|-----------|-----------------------------|
|         1 | No. of inspections Conducted   |       2340 |      4117 |      4386 |                        3462 |
|         2 | No. of irregularities detected |       1846 |      5253 |      3513 |                        2933 |
|         3 | No. irregularities Rectified   |       1502 |      2607 |      2172 |                        1344 |
|         4 | No. of Prosecutions Launched   |        178 |       301 |       408 |                         209 |
|         5 | No. of Convictions             |        472 |       317 |       516 |                         129 |

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