Amendment to Minimum Wages Act: Govt. statement in Lok Sabha

Amendment to Minimum Wages Act: Govt. statement in Lok Sabha

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO 6
ANSWERED ON 24.11.2014

    AMENDMENT TO MINIMUM WAGES ACT

6 . Sampath Shri AnirudhanWill the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:-

(a)whether suggestions have been received from various quarters to amend the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 and if so, the details thereof;

(b)whether the amendment proposes to cover all the employment sectors and increase penal provisions; and

(c)if so, the details thereof ?
ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI BANDARU DATTATREYA)

(a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 6 FOR 24.11.2014 BY DR. A. SAMPATH REGARDING “AMENDMENT TO MINIMUM WAGES ACT”.

(a) to (c): Yes, Madam. Major Central Trade Unions had raised demands to ensure universal coverage irrespective of the schedules and fixation of statutory minimum wage at not less than Rs.10,000/- linked with cost price index on 04.09.2012. Further, the demand to fix minimum wages not less than Rs.15,000/- per month was placed before the Government by these trade unions on 06.06.2014 and 24.06.2014.

Proposals for amendment to the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 were put on the website of the Ministry of Labour and Employment on 17.06.2014 for public consultation. The proposals inter-alia include universal coverage to all the employments by removing the restriction of 1000 or more workers for an employment to come within the purview of Minimum Wages Act, making National Floor Level Minimum Wage (NFLMW) statutory and enhancement of penal provisions by increasing the fine prescribed for contravention of certain provision of the Act from Rs.500/- to Rs.5,000/- on first conviction and with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine of not less than Rs.5,000/- extending up to Rs.10,000/- in the case of second or subsequent conviction under the Act.

Source: Lok Sabha.nic.in

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Coverage under Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)

Coverage under Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO): Lok Sabha Q&A

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 154
ANSWERED ON   24.11.2014

    COVERAGE UNDER EPFO

154 . Mahadik Shri Dhananjay Bhimrao, Gavit Dr. Heena Vijaykumar
Patil Shri Vijaysinh Mohite, Satav Shri Rajeev Shankarrao, Sule Smt. Supriya Sadanand

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

(a)whether a large number of workers from the construction sector as well as contract employees are not covered under the Employees` Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO);



(b)if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(c)whether workers from these sectors were unable to retrieve their savings with EPFO due to frequent job changes; and if so, the quantum of amount lying with EPFO as inoperative;

(d)whether the EPFO has constituted any committee to bring in more workers including workers from these sectors and if so, whether the committee has submitted its reports; and

(e)if so, the action taken thereon along with various other steps taken by the Government for the benefit of workers under EPFO?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI BANDARU DATTATREYA)

(a) & (b): The Employees’ Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 is applicable to 187 categories of industries and classes of establishments where 20 or more persons are working. Government has notified a Schedule Head - “Building & Construction Industry” vide GSR No. 1069 dated 11.10.1980.

There is no distinction between regular and contract workers under the Act. The workers whether regular or contractual working in the covered establishments are enrolled as EPF members.

(c): There are instances came to the notice of EPFO where the workers of these sectors face difficulties while retrieving their savings with EPFO due to frequent job changes. As per the unaudited Annual Account of the Organization for the year 2013-14, Rs. 27,448.54 Crore is lying in Inoperative Account.

(d) & (e): The Central Board of Trustees, EPF decided in their 204th meeting held on 26.08.2014 to constitute two non-statutory Sub-Committees, one for Construction Workers and the other for the Contract Workers with the terms of reference that these sub-committees will suggest mechanism to the Central Board so that coverage of both construction and contract workers can be increased. These sub-committees were constituted on 15.10.2014. The sub-committees met separately on 31.10.2014 and made some recommendations which are to be placed before the next meeting of the Central Board for consideration. Besides, EPFO have taken the following steps for benefits of workers:-

i. The process of allotting Universal Account Number has already started which will result in portability of the accounts.

ii. For transfer of accumulations on job/location change, provision for online transfer of accumulations has been put in place.

iii. Provision has been made in the Official website which will help the members to access their PF accounts online.

Source: Lok Sabha

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Employees Pension Scheme: Details of subscribers and amount distributed

Employees Pension Scheme: Details of subscribers and amount distributed

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 139
ANSWERED ON 24.11.2014

SUBSCRIBERS UNDER EPS

139 . Antony Shri Anto

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

(a) whether the Government has any record regarding the number of subscribers under the Employees` Pension Scheme (EPS) in the country;
(b)if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise; and
(c)the details of the amount distributed under EPS during each of the last three years and the current year, State/UT-wise?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SHRI BANDARU DATTATREYA)

(a) & (b): Yes, Madam. The State/UT-wise details of membership of Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 are at Annex-I.
(c): The State/UT-wise details of amount distributed under Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 during the last three years and current year (upto June, 2014) are at Annex–II.

 

ANNEX-I

No. of Subscribers under the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS), 1995

STATE/UT	Subscribers as on 31.3.2014
Andhra Pradesh( including Telangana)	10657225
Bihar	356826
Chhattisgarh	589276
Delhi	11350265
Goa	1168601
Gujarat (including Daman & Diu)	7481829
Haryana	6195965
Himachal Pradesh	1012158
Jharkhand	942549
Karnataka	14907011
Kerala (including Lakshadweep)	2110682
Madhya Pradesh	2913492
Maharashtra	23468307
North East Region	427558
Odisha	2191814
Punjab (including Chandigarh)	5135813
Rajasthan	1178766
Tamil Nadu (including Puducherry)	16622517
Uttar Pradesh	1917405
Uttrakhand	1117299
West Bengal(including Andaman & Nicobar Islands)	4483143
TOTAL	116228501

ANNEX-II

 

Details of amount disbursed under Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 during the last three years and current year (up to June, 2014)

(Rs. in Crores)

 

STATE/UT	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15 Upto June 2014  (Provisional)
Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana)	651.96	747.80	880.70	176.66
Bihar	102.99	162.08	201.49	32.09
Chhattisgarh	90.37	96.07	118.22	7.39
Delhi	420.16	475.94	528.98	139.53
Goa	33.85	36.89	47.80	5.82
Gujarat (including Daman & Diu)	488.95	550.39	660.71	114.15
Haryana	275.80	358.21	422.24	84.34
Himachal Pradesh	47.92	56.97	72.62	14.90
Jharkhand	188.86	162.64	184.12	41.13
Karnataka	815.20	934.00	1121.52	275.53
Kerala (including Lakshadweep)	334.88	365.38	424.00	111.21
Madhya Pradesh	200.06	222.75	259.13	64.33
Maharashtra	1529.71	1966.83	2214.95	435.20
North East Region	63.36	69.10	78.65	10.99
Odisha	126.13	147.93	194.72	44.70
Punjab (including Chandigarh)	229.65	253.17	313.19	65.27
Rajasthan	176.27	201.95	237.62	57.33
Tamil Nadu (including Puducherry)	841.09	1032.76	1552.27	275.37
Uttar Pradesh	496.21	561.10	636.46	62.95
Uttrakhand	68.68	84.81	108.18	29.39
West Bengal (including Andaman & Nicobar Islands)	457.41	551.77	642.75	93.57
TOTAL	7639.51	9038.54	10900.32	2140.83

Source: Loksabha.nic.in

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