Centre will set up “Advisory Board” to fix National Minimum Wages: JS Ministry of Labour & Employment

Joint Secretary, Ministry of Labour & Employment, Mr. R K Gupta on Wednesday stated that the government would constitute an Advisory Board to fix the National Minimum Wages for employees and such wages differ and vary sectorally as well as regionally across the country as per requirements, skills and nature of jobs with the enforcement of proposed Labour Code on Wages 2017.

Addressing an Interactive Session on Labour Code on Wages-2017 under aegis of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry here today, Mr. Gupta, however, clarified that the Centre has not at all fixed a National Minimum Wage for all employees as yet and reports appearing on Rs.18,000 per month minimum wages for employees are ‘incorrect’.

According to him, “the government would set up an Advisory Board after host of Parliamentary procedures are honoured and assign the task of fixing up the National Minimum Wages that will vary and differ as per requirements of skills and nature of jobs and even region wise.  The States and UTs will accordingly follow the Board’s decision for fixing of national minimum wages in their respective domain for employees which can be even above such wages but certainly not lower than the fixed limit by the Centre”.

Mr. Gupta, however, could not ascertain as to by when the proposed Advisory Board be set up by the government, clarifying that there will be quiet a few national minimum wages for different sectors and even for different regions.

Following enactment of Labour Code on Wages 2017 which is currently facing scrutiny from the Parliamentary Standing Committee, four labour laws relating to the Minimum Wages Act, 1948; the Payment of Wages Act, 1936; the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965; and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 would be subsumed in one Labour Code on Wages 2017 and that current inspector raj would turn into a facilitator regime to help industry comply the new Code.

Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Mr. Anil Kumar Nayak who also spoke on the occasion however said that with proposed Labour Code on Wages 2017, getting implemented harmonization will take place in entire labour sector which would be win-win situation for all stakeholders in this segment.

Sr. Vice President, PHD Chamber, Mr. Anil Khaitan presided over the Interactive Session saying that industry should be given hire and fire option under new Code whereas Chairman, Industrial Relations & HR Committee of the Chamber, Mr. Ravi Wig who moderated the Session said that the new Code should be made implementation oriented.

Among other who participated in the Session comprised Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Labour & employment, Ms. Anita Tripathi; former Additional Labour Commissioner, Delhi and Adviser in Ministry of Labour, Mr. Piyush Sharma; Co-Chairmen, Industrial Relations & HR Committee, PHD Chamber, Mr. R P Singh and Mr. Bharat S Mehta and its Head, IR & HR Committee,  Mr. R K Joshi.