Lok Sabha Question No. 1323 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-11
Subject: Non-payment of Wages to Labourers
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Pashupati Nath Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1323 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.12.2023

## NON-PAYMENT OF WAGES TO LABOURERS

†1323. SHRI PASHUPATI NATH SINGH:

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

(a)whether  the  Government  has  received  any  complaint  of  nonpayment of wages to the labourers by the employers;

(b)if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  punitive  action  taken  by  the

Government in this regard;

- (c)the compensation  paid  to  the labourers on receipt of the information of non-payment of minimum wages to them; and
- (d)the concrete steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure the payment of minimum wages to the workers/labourers?

## 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.  The  enforcement  in  the Central sphere is secured through the inspecting officers of the Chief Labour  Commissioner  (Central)  commonly  designated  as  Central Industrial  Relations  Machinery  (CIRM)  and  in  the  State  Sphere 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 under-payment of 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,  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, for the last three years are annexed.

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Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha un-starred question no. 1323 for 11.12.2023 regarding Non-payment of Wages to 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   | CLAIMS FILED UNDER MINIMUM WAGES ACT, 1948   |
|-------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
| YEAR                          | FILED                                        | DECIDED                                      | AWARDED (Rs.)                                | NO. OF WORKERS BENEFITTED                    |
| (1)                           | (2)                                          | (3)                                          | (4)                                          | (5)                                          |
| 2021-22                       | 5297                                         | 2102                                         | 17,77,22,490/-                               | 7487                                         |
| 2022-23                       | 3044                                         | 2981                                         | 32,80,07,597/-                               | 14757                                        |
| 2023-24 (up to October, 2023) | 2137                                         | 1380                                         | 27,08,75,457.6/-                             | 5317                                         |

## 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 (Rs.)                                  | NO. OF WORKERS BENEFITTED                      |
| (1)                           | (2)                                            | (3)                                            | (4)                                            | (5)                                            |
| 2021-22                       | 811                                            | 400                                            | 29,80,27,109/-                                 | 5277                                           |
| 2022-23                       | 424                                            | 479                                            | 5,21,63,729/-                                  | 6030                                           |
| 2023-24 (up to October, 2023) | 359                                            | 510                                            | 8,58,67,285/-                                  | 1638                                           |

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