BMS, other trade unions fault draft wage code rules

There are many anomalies in the draft rules on Code on Wages circulated by the labour ministry to seek stakeholders' views, major trade unions, including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, said on Tuesday. 

The unions are expected to reach out to the ministry with point-wise objections in their respective representation on the draft rules this week. 

BMS general secretary Virjesh Upadhyay said, "There are many anomalies in the draft rules on Code on Wages which need to be amended. The new rules are silent about many provisions clearly provided in the four Acts subsumed in the code." 

Citing an example, he said there was no clarity on working hours in the draft rules. The working hours should be six hours a day. Besides, there were issues related to fixation of minimum wage in the draft rules. 

"The rules do not provide for upgradation of workers to semi-skilled or skilled category from unskilled. That generally happens in any trade. People join jobs as freshers and improve their skills. That is missing in the draft rules. 

"We are studying the draft rules in detail and would come up with point-wise analysis and suggestions. We would submit our representation in the next 2-3 days," he told PTI. 

Similar views were echoed by the All India Trade Union Congress general secretary Amarjeet Kaur. 

"The draft rules do not provide for representation of trade unions in the wage fixation committee. The earlier four Acts subsumed in the code, provided for that. There are many other shortcomings which need to be improved in the rules. We are going to file a detailed representation on the draft rules this week," she said. 

Kaur also said there was an issue with the definition of wages, which needs to be corrected. 

The labour ministry had circulated the draft rules on Code on Wages November 1, 2019, and sought stakeholders comments till December 1, 2019. 

Earlier, in August this year, Parliament had approved the Code on Wages Bill 2019, which provides for introduction of minimum wage for every worker besides addressing issues like delay in payment to employees. 

The Act subsumed four labour laws -- Minimum Wages Act, Payment of Wages Act, Payment of Bonus Act and Equal Remuneration Act.