The Hindu Business Line : Minimum wages will be notified soon for sweepers, cleaners in contract system

New Delhi, Aug. 5 In a move that would bring cheers to the scores of workers employed through contractors in private security services that supply watch and ward personnel, and sweepers and cleaners working under contractors, the Centre will soon notify a minimum wage for these workers.

This was announced by the Minister for Labour and Employment, Mr Oscar Fernandes, at the annual all-India conference of Chief Labour Commissioners and Regional Commissioners that began here on Tuesday.

While asking the officials from the States to undertake special crash programmes to ensure payment of minimum wages in their respective States, the Minister said the “Central Government would issue notification for the minimum wages in respect of employment of sweeping, cleaning and watch and ward services very shortly.”

He said that labour laws should be made relief oriented and worker friendly. Mr Fernandes pointed out that high level of compliance of the labour laws cannot be ensured only by launching prosecutions. Efforts should be made to get the irregularities rectified by educating and persuading the employers, the Minister said, and urged the officials to move beyond conventional ways and play a pro-active role as facilitator, advisor and guide to the employers, unions and workers in a manner that might lead to willing and voluntary compliance.

The Minister said that in the present scenario of globalisation, no economy can function in isolation and the changes that are taking place are affecting the industries and the workers alike.

“This, in fact, is the crucial phase of re-adjustment where our energy, resources and tact will be tested to the maximum.

Hence, there is need to adapt the changes accordingly and make the labour administration more effective,” he said.

The Minister cited the recent wage settlement in public sector Neyveli Lignite Corporation which resulted in a significant pay hike for more than 13,000 contract labourers working with the company and asked the Labour Commissioners to make it a standard model for settling similar industrial disputes.

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