Minimum Wages Act India free essay sample

Background A tripartite Committee Viz. , The Committee on Fair Wage was set up in 1948 to provide guidelines for wage structures in the country. The report of this Committee was a major landmark in the history of formulation of wage policy in India. Its recommendations set out the key concepts of the living wage, minimum wages† and fair wage besides setting out guidelines for wage fixation. Article 39 states that the State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing (a) that the citizen, men and women equally shall have the right to an adequate livelihood and (b) that there is equal pay for equal work for both men and women. Article 43 states that the State shall endeavour, by suitable legislation or economic organization or in any other way, to give all workers, agricultural, industrial or otherwise, work, a living wage, conditions of work ensuring a decent standard of life and full enjoyment of leisure, and social and cultural opportunities. We will write a custom essay sample on Minimum Wages Act India or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Enactment of the Minimum Wages ActHistorical Backdrop The initiative started with the resolution placed by one Shri. K. G. R. Choudhary in 1920 for setting up Boards for determination of minimum wages in each industry. The International Labour Conference adopted in 1928 Convention No. 26 and Recommendation No. 30 relating to wage fixing machinery in trades or parts of trades. On the recommendation of the Standing Labour Committee and Indian Labour Conference, a Labour Investigation Committee was appointed in 1943 to investigate into the question of wages and other matters like housing, social conditions and employment.A draft bill was considered by the Indian Labour Conference in 1945. The 8th meeting of the Standing Labour Committee recommended in 1946 to enact a separate legislation for the unorganized sector including working hours, minimum wages and paid holidays. A Minimum Wages Bill was introduced in the Central Legislative Assembly on 11. 4. 46 to provide for fixation of minimum wages in certain employments. Under the Act, Central and State Governments are appropriate Governments to (a) notify scheduled employment b) fix/revise minimum wages The Act contains list of all these employments for which minimum wages are to be fixed by the appropriate Governments. There are two parts of the Schedule. Part I has non-agricultural employments whereas Part-II relates to employment in agriculture. 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.