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The RSS-affiliated trade union Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh has welcomed the draft rules for the Code on Wages, released by the Union Labour Ministry. Terming the Rules as revolutionary, the BMS said the Rules settle some important issues on wage fixation.
The Code on Wages was passed by Parliament last year. The final draft of the Rules was published on July 7. BMS president CK Saji Narayanan said his organisation will file a detailed response to the rules within the stipulated time of 40 days to the Labour Ministry.
He said the rules should be finalised at the earliest incorporating changes on some minor objections. BMS had earlier welcomed the Code on Wages and said it is the first universal labour code and for the first time minimum wages is extended to the last worker in the country. The organisation had said that at present minimum wage covers only seven per cent of the total workforce.
Narayanan said the rules have settled the controversies on working hours by fixing it at eight hours a day. “At present Minimum wages act and the previous draft of wage Code rules say nine hours. This change needs to be brought in Code on Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions also where still it is nine hours,” he said.
He added that the Rules uphold the criteria for minimum wages fixed by Indian Labour Conference of 1957 and Raptakos Brett case and it is a welcome move.
He said the concept of family members considered as three units is old and it should be raised to six units. “New provision for appeal by employer against decision on wages should either be withdrawn or it should be accompanied by compulsory deposit of award amount in FD where interest also will accumulate,” he said.
Narayanan said the Code on wages withdrew the Wage Board system for working journalists and brought under minimum wages law. “This was objected. Now their wage is safeguarded by two committees — Technical committee to fix their minimum wages and National Tripartite advisory Committee to advise. So for the first time trade unions are involved in the fixation of wages for the working journalists. The technical committee also should be made tripartite,” he said.
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