Wage Bill: Government to send clarification to Centre

The Delhi government will soon send clarifications to the Centre on minimum wages which advocates strict provisions against those employers not following the proposed law in the national capital. The Central government had sought some clarifications on some clauses of the proposed Minimum Wages Amendment Bill 2015.

Labour minister Gopal Rai said his department has prepared replies which have been sent to the Delhi government’s law department for its observation and thereafter clarifications will be sent to the Centre.

The minister said the Centre has raised concerns over some points in the proposal which include widening the ambit of people who can register complaint against his or her employer for violation. According to Mr Rai, as per the existing rule, individual or a trade union only can register complaint if there was any violation of the law.

“In the Minimum Wages Amendment Bill 2015 tabled in Assembly in December last year, we proposed to widen the ambit and allow even NGOs and social organisations working for the welfare of labourers to file the same against employers,” the labour minister said. The proposed law also favours the increase of punishment from existing jail term up to six months to jail up to three years. Thereafter, the AAP dispensation had sent it to Centre for its approval. Last month too, the government had proposed to revise the minimum wages in the capital by about 50 per cent.