Minimum Wages Act, 1948 – Labour Laws – UGC NET Code 55 Notes

Section 11. Wages in kind

(1) Minimum wages payable under this Act shall be paid in cash.

(2) Where it has been the custom to pay wages wholly or partly in kind the appropriate government being of the opinion that it is necessary in the circumstances of the case may by notification in the Official Gazette authorize the payment of minimum wages either wholly or partly in kind.

(3) If appropriate government is of the opinion that provision should be made for the supply of essential commodities at concession rates the appropriate government may by notification in the Official Gazette authorize the provision of such supplies at concessional rates.

(4) The cash value of wages in kind and of concessions in respect of supplies of essential commodities at concession rates authorized under sub-sections (2) and (3) shall be estimated in the prescribed manner.

Section 12. Payment of minimum rate of wages

(1) Where in respect of any scheduled employment a notification under section 5 is in force the employer shall pay to every employee engaged in a scheduled employment under him wages at a rate not less than the minimum rate of wages fixed by such notification for that class of employees in that employment without any deductions except as may be authorized within such time and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed.

(2) Nothing contained in this section shall affect the provisions of the Payment of Wages Act 1936 (4 of 1936)

Section 13. Fixing hours for normal working day etc.

(1) In regard to any scheduled employment minimum rates of wages in respect of which have been fixed under this Act the appropriate government may –

(a) fix the number of hours of work which shall constitute a normal working day inclusive of one or more specified intervals;

(b) provide for a day of rest in every period of seven days which shall be allowed to all employees or to any specified class of employees and for the payment of remuneration in respect of such days of rest;

(c) provide for payment for work on a day of rest at a rate not less than the overtime rate.

(2) The provisions of sub-section (1) shall in relation to the following classes of employees apply only to such extent and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed :-

(a) employees engaged on urgent work or in any emergency which could not have been foreseen or prevented;

(b) employees engaged in work in the nature of preparatory or complementary work which must necessarily be carried on outside the limits laid down for the general working in the employment concerned;

(c) employees whose employment is essentially intermittent;

(d) employees engaged in any work which for technical reasons has to be completed before the duty is over;

(e) employees engaged in a work which could not be carried on except at times dependent on the irregular action of natural forces.

(3) For the purposes of clause (c) of sub-section (2) employment of an employee is essentially intermittent when it is declared to be so by the appropriate government on the ground that the daily hours of duty of the employee or if there be no daily hours of duty as such for the employee the hours of duty normally include periods of inaction during which the employee may be on duty but is not called upon to display either physical activity or sustained attention.

Section 14. Overtime

(1) Where an employee whose minimum rate of wages is fixed under this Act by the hour by the day or by such a longer wage-period as may be prescribed works on any day in excess of the number of hours constituting a normal working day the employer shall pay him for every hour or for part of an hour so worked in excess at the overtime rate fixed under this Act or under any law of the appropriate government for the time being in force whichever is higher.

(2) Nothing in this Act shall prejudice the operation of the provisions of section 59 of the Factories Act 1948 (63 of 1948) in any case where those provisions are applicable.

Comment:  “Overtime under Section 14 is payable to those employees who are getting a minimum rate of wage as prescribed under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. These are the only employees to whom overtime under Section 14 would become payable. In the present case the respondents cannot be described as employees who are getting a minimum rate of wages fixed under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948. They are getting much more and that too under the Madhya Pradesh Municipal Service (Scales of Pay and Allowances) Rules, 1967. Therefore, Section 14 has no application to them. We have not been shown any other provision under which they can claim overtime” Municipal Council, Hatta v. Bhagat Singh. AIR 1998

Section 15. Wages of worker who works for less than normal working day

If an employee whose minimum rate of wages has been fixed under this Act by the day works on any day on which he was employed for a period less than the requisite number of hours constituting a normal working day he shall save as otherwise hereinafter provided be entitled to receive wages in respect of work done by him on that day as if he had worked for a full normal working day :

Provided however that he shall not be entitled to receive wages for a full normal working day –

(i) in any case where his failure to work is caused by his unwillingness to work and not by the omission of the employer to provide him with work and

(ii) in such other cases and circumstances as may be prescribed.

Section 16. Wages for two or more classes of work

Where an employee does two or more classes of work to each of which a different minimum rate of wages is applicable the employer shall pay to such employee in respect of the time respectively occupied in each such class of work wages at not less than the minimum rate in force in respect of each such class.

Section 17. Minimum time rate wages for piece work

Where an employee is employed on piece work for which minimum time rate and not a minimum piece rate has been fixed under this Act the employer shall pay to such employee wages at not less than the minimum time rate.

Section 18. Maintenance of registers and records

(1) Every employer shall maintain such registers and records giving such particulars of employees employed by him the work performed by them the wages paid to them the receipts given by them and such other particulars and in such form as may be prescribed.

(2) Every employer shall keep exhibited in such manner as may be prescribed in the factory workshop or place where the employees in the scheduled employment may be employed or in the case of out-workers in such factory workshop or place as may be used for giving out work to them notices in the prescribed form containing prescribed particulars.

(3) The appropriate government may by rules made under this Act provide for the issue of wage books or wage slips to employees employed in any scheduled employment in respect of which minimum rates of wages have been fixed and prescribed to manner in which entries shall be made and authenticated in such wage books or wage slips by the employer or his agent.

Section 19. Inspectors

(1) The appropriate government may by notification in the Official Gazette appoint such persons as it thinks fit to be Inspectors for the purposes of this Act and define the local limits within which they shall exercise their functions.

(2) Subject to any rules made in this behalf an Inspector may within the local limits for which he is appointed –

(a) enter at all reasonable hours with such assistants (if any) being persons in the service of the government or any local or other public authority as he thinks fit any premises or place where employees are employed or work is given out to out-workers in any scheduled employment in respect of which minimum rates of wages have been fixed under this Act for the purpose of examining any register record of wages or notices required to be kept or exhibited by or under this Act or rules made thereunder and require the production thereof for inspection;

(b) examine any person whom he finds in any such premises or place and who he has reasonable cause to believe is an employee employed therein or an employee to whom work is given out therein;

(c) require any person giving out-work and any out-workers to give any information which is in his power to give with respect to the names and addresses of the persons to for and from whom the work is given out or received and with respect to the payments to be made for the work;

(d) seize or take copies of such register record or wages or notices or portions thereof as he may consider relevant in respect of an offence under this Act which he has reason to believe has been committed by an employer; and

(e) exercise such other powers as may be prescribed.

(3) Every Inspector shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).

(4) Any person required to produce any document or thing or to give any information by an Inspector under sub-section (2) shall be deemed to be legally bound to do so within the meaning of section 175 and section 176 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).

Minimum Wages Act, 1948 – Labour Laws – UGC NET Code 55 Notes
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