Lok Sabha Question No. 2516 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-18
Subject: Minimum Wages
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Nalin Kumar Kateel, D.K. Suresh, Janardan Singh Sigriwal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2516

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.12.2023

## MINIMUM WAGES

2516. SHRI NALIN KUMAR KATEEL:

SHRI D.K. SURESH:

SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL:

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

- (a)whether it is true that the rates of minimum wages fixed are equally applicable to both public and private sector and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)whether the Government has received any complaints/representations for  non-payment  of  Minimum  Wages  to private sector employees;
- (c)if so, the details thereof and the number of complaints received during
- the last three years, State-wise;
- (d)whether  the  Government  has  taken  any  action  against  persons
- violated the Minimum Wages Act and if so, the details thereof;
- (e)whether any health scheme for workers of the unorganized sector is being implemented or under consideration with the Government and
- if so, the details thereof; and
- (f)the other steps being taken by the Government for welfare of workers
- of rural areas particularly in aspirational districts of the country? ANSWER

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

- (a): The Minimum Wages Act, 1948, provides for fixing minimum rates of wages in scheduled employments including those in the private sector.  Both the  Central  Government and the State Governments are appropriate Governments to fix, review and revise the minimum wages in  scheduled  employments  in  their  respective  jurisdiction  and  the minimum rates of wages so fixed are equally applicable to both public and private sector.
- (b) to (d): Both the Central Government and the State Governments are the appropriate Governments to enforce the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, including the provisions relating to  non-payment of Contd..2/-

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 section 22 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 are taken recourse to. The details in regard to enforcement of the minimum wages in the Scheduled employments in the Central Sphere for the last three years are annexed. Details  of  enforcement  of  the  provisions  of  the  Minimum  Wages  Act, 1948, in the State sphere are not centrally maintained.

(e) & (f): The Government is implementing the Unorganised Workers social  security  Act  (UWSS),  2008,  across  the  country  including  rural areas to provide social security to unorganized workers by formulating suitable welfare schemes on the matters relating to: (i) life and disability cover; (ii) health and maternity benefits; (iii) old age protection; and (iv) any other benefit as may be determined by the Central Government.

Life and disability cover is provided through Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) based on contribution made by subscriber. PMJJBY is available to the people in the age group of 18 to 50 years and it provides for risk coverage Rs. 2.00 lakh in case of death, due to any reason, at an annual premium of Rs. 436/-. The Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) is available to the people in the age group of 18 to 70 years with risk coverage of Rs 2.00 lakh in case of accidental death or total permanent disability and Rs. 1.00 lakh for partial permanent disability on payment of annual premium of Rs. 20.

The  Ayushman  Bharat-Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  Arogya  Yojana (ABPMJAY) provides an annual health cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per eligible family for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization.

In order to provide old age social security cover to unorganized workers, the Government of India launched Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM) pension scheme in 2019. It provides monthly pension of Rs. 3000/- to an unorganized worker on attaining the age of 60 years. The unorganized workers in the age group of 18-40 years whose monthly income is Rs.15000/- or less and who are not a member of EPFO/ESIC/NPS (Govt. funded) can join the PM-SYM Scheme. Under this  scheme  50%  of  the  monthly  contribution  is  payable  by  the beneficiary  and  equal  matching  contribution  is  paid  by  the  Central Government.

*                                                 ******

Annexure Annexure referred to in reply to part  (b) to (d) of Lok Sabha Un-Starred Question No. 2516 for 18.12.2023 regarding Minimum Wages.

## Details of Inspections, Prosecutions and Convictions done under the Minimum Wage Act, 1948

| Year                          | No. of inspections conducted   | No. of Irregularitie s detected   | No. of Irregularities rectified   | No. of Prosecutions launched   | No. of convictions   |
|-------------------------------|--------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|--------------------------------|----------------------|
| (1)                           | (2)                            | (3)                               | (4)                               | (5)                            | (6)                  |
| 2021-22                       | 5022                           | 35983                             | 8726                              | 492                            | 167                  |
| 2022-23                       | 5636                           | 37012                             | 10294                             | 1019                           | 281                  |
| 2023-24 (up to October, 2023) | 3064                           | 14946                             | 6964                              | 393                            | 155                  |

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.OFWORKERS 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                                         |

******