Lok Sabha Question No. 2250 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-02
Subject: Non-payment of Wages to Workers and Labourers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Riti Pathak

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2250 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.08.2021

## NON-PAYMENT OF WAGES TO WORKERS AND LABOURERS

†2250. SHRIMATI RITI PATHAK:

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

- (a)whether  the  Government  maintains  any  central  record  of  complaints,
- related to non-payment of wages to the workers and labourers; (b)if so, the details thereof;
- (c)the details of the rules in place for taking action against contractors and firms  that  have  failed  to  make  payment  of  wages  to  the  workers  and
- labourers;
- (d)if not, the basis on which the welfare policy is framed for the welfare of workers in the absence of the said record?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI RAMESWAR TELI)

(a) to (d): Both  the  Central  Government  and  the  State  Governments  are the appropriate Governments to enforce the provisions of the Payment of Wages  Act,  1936,  and  the  Minimum  Wages  Act,  1948,  including  the provisions  relating  to    non-payment  of  wages/minimum  wages,  in  their respective  jurisdictions.  In  the  Central  sphere  the  enforcement  is  done through the Inspecting Officers of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) commonly designated as Central Industrial Relations Machinery (CIRM) and the compliance in the State Sphere is ensured through the State Enforcement Machinery.The designated inspecting officers conduct regular inspections  and  in  the  event  of  detection  of  any  case  of  non-payment  or underpayment  of  wages/minimum  wages,  they  direct  the  employers  to make payment of the shortfall of wages.  In case of non-compliance, penal provisions prescribed under sections 17A and 20 of the Payment of Wages Act,  1936  and  section  22  of  the  Minimum  Wages  Act  are  taken  recourse to.The  details  regarding  number  of  claim  cases  filed  and  decided  in  the Central sphere under the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, and the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, are annexed.

*                                                 ******

Annexure

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA UN-STARRED  QUESTION  No.  2250  FOR  02.08.2021  REGARDING  NONPAYMENT OF WAGES TO WORKERS AND LABOURERS.

Claim cases under Minimum Wages Act, 1948

| YEAR                  | CLAIMS FILED UNDER MINIMUM WAGES ACT, 1948   | CLAIMS FILED UNDER MINIMUM WAGES ACT, 1948   | CLAIMS FILED UNDER MINIMUM WAGES ACT, 1948   |
|-----------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|                       | FILED                                        | DECIDED                                      | AWARDED (Rs.)                                |
| (1)                   | (2)                                          | (3)                                          | (4)                                          |
| 2018-19               | 4698                                         | 1307                                         | 26,75,44,000                                 |
| 2019-20               | 5882                                         | 1857                                         | 20,94,37,906                                 |
| 2020-21 Up to Jan, 21 | 5007                                         | 815                                          | 12,79,70,284                                 |

Claim cases under Payment of Wages Act, 1936

| YEAR                  | CLAIMS FILED UNDER PAYMENT OF WAGES ACT, 1936   | CLAIMS FILED UNDER PAYMENT OF WAGES ACT, 1936   | CLAIMS FILED UNDER PAYMENT OF WAGES ACT, 1936   |
|-----------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------|
|                       | FILED                                           | DECIDED                                         | AWARDED (Rs.)                                   |
| (1)                   | (2)                                             | (3)                                             | (4)                                             |
| 2018-19               | 682                                             | 381                                             | 1,76,19,000                                     |
| 2019-20               | 747                                             | 321                                             | 3,61,22,882                                     |
| 2020-21 Up to Jan, 21 | 752                                             | 39                                              | 1,00,06,728                                     |

******