Lok Sabha Question No. 569 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-24
Subject: Non-Payment of Wages
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Rajveer Diler

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 569

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.07.2023

## NON-PAYMENT OF WAGES

†569. SHRI RAJVEER DILER:

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

- (a)whether the Government maintains record of complaints relating to non-payment of wages to workers and labourers by contractors and firms at the central level;
- (b)if so, the details thereof along with the details of the rules framed regarding action to be taken against contractors and firms for nonpayment of salaries; and
- (c)if not, the ground on which the policy related to the welfare of the workers is formulated in the absence of the said record?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c): Both the Central and the State Governments are 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 or underpayment 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 nonpayment  or  underpayment  of  minimum  wages,  they  direct  the employers to make payment of the shortfall of wages. In case of noncompliance, penal provisions prescribed under sections 17A and 20 of the Payment of Wages Act, 1936 and section 22 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 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.

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ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  TO  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 569 FOR 24.07.2023

## 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   | CLAIMS FILED UNDER MINIMUM WAGES ACT, 1948   |
|------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|                              | FILED                                        | DECIDED                                      | AWARDED                                      | No. of WORKERS BENEFITED                     |
| 1                            | 2                                            | 3                                            | 4                                            | 5                                            |
| 2020-2021                    | 3763                                         | 1334                                         | Rs. 27,02,02,177/-                           | 7631                                         |
| 2021-2022                    | 5297                                         | 2102                                         | Rs. 17,77,22,490/-                           | 7487                                         |
| 2022-2023                    | 3044                                         | 2981                                         | Rs. 32,80,07,597/-                           | 14757                                        |
| 2023-2024 (up to June, 2023) | 2118                                         | 784                                          | Rs. 12,75,84,434.3/-                         | 3623                                         |

## Claim cases under Payment of Wages Act, 1936

| Year                         | CLAIMS FILED UNDER PAYMENT OF WAGESACT, 1936   | CLAIMS FILED UNDER PAYMENT OF WAGESACT, 1936   | CLAIMS FILED UNDER PAYMENT OF WAGESACT, 1936   | CLAIMS FILED UNDER PAYMENT OF WAGESACT, 1936   |
|------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------|
|                              | FILED                                          | DECIDED                                        | AWARDED                                        | No. of WORKERS BENEFITED                       |
| 1                            | 2                                              | 3                                              | 4                                              | 5                                              |
| 2020 -2021                   | 336                                            | 204                                            | Rs. 16,61,36,127/-                             | 2778                                           |
| 2021-22                      | 811                                            | 400                                            | Rs. 29,80,27,109/-                             | 5277                                           |
| 2022-23                      | 424                                            | 479                                            | Rs. 5,21,63,729/-                              | 6030                                           |
| 2023-2024 (up to June, 2023) | 364                                            | 261                                            | Rs. 25,15,358/-                                | 196                                            |

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