Page 280 - DMGT516_LABOUR_LEGISLATIONS

Unit 11: Minimum Wages Act, 1948

which entries shall be made and authenticated in such wage books or wage slips by the Notes
employer or his agent.

Enforcement of the Act

Inspectors (Sec. 19): By notification in the Official Gazette, the appropriate government may
appoint Inspectors, and define the local limits within which they shall exercise their functions.
The Inspectors have to see that the provisions of the Act are complied with. For this, Inspectors
are empowered to:
i) enter at all reasonable hours, with such assistance they may think fit, any premises or
place where employees are employed, in respect of which minimum rates of wages have
been fixed, for the purpose of examining any register, record of wages, or notice required
to be kept or exhibited by or under this Act, or rules made thereunder, and require the
production thereof for inspection;
ii) examine any person whom he finds in any such premises or place and who, he has
reasonable cause to believe, is an employee;
iii) require any person giving out work or any worker to give any information, which is in
his power to give, with respect to other persons and for whom the work is given or
received, and with respect to the payment to be made for the work;
iv) seize or take copies of such register, record of wages or notices as he may consider relevant,
in respect of any offence under this Act, which he has reason to believe has been committed
by an employer; and
v) exercise such other powers as may be prescribed (Sec. 19 (2)).

Any person required to produce any document or thing or to give any information by an
Inspector under Sec. 19 (2) shall be deemed to be legally bound to do so within the meaning of
Sec. 175 of the Indian Penal Code (Sec. 19 (4)).
Every Inspector shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of the Indian Penal
Code, 1860 (Sec. 19 (3)).

Claims (Sec. 20): The appropriate government, may by notification in Official Gazette, appoint
an authority to hear and decide for any specified area all claims:
a) arising out of payment of less than the minimum rates of wages, or

b) for work done on days of rest, or
c) in respect of wages at the overtime rate to employees employed or paid in that area.

Authority for Hearing and Deciding Claims

The authority to be appointed may be:
i) any commissioner for workmen’s compensation;
ii) any officer of the Central Government exercising functions as Labour Commissioner for
any region;
iii) any officer of the State Government not below the rank of a Labour Commissioner; or
iv) any other officer with an experience as a judge of a Civil Court or as a stipendiary Magistrate
(Sec. 20 (I)).

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