THE MINIMUM WAGES (CENTRAL) RULES – 1950

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 30 the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 (XI of 1948), the Central Government has made the Minimum Wages (Central) Rules-1950.

Applicability: These rules are applicable to employments carried on by or under the authority of the central Government, or a railway administration or in relation to a mine, oil field or major port, or any corporation established by a Central Act or the central Government.

Duties of Employers:

a. Every employer shall send annually a return in Form III so as to reach the Inspector, not later than the 1 st February following the end of the year to which it relates.

b. Notices in Form IX-A containing the minimum rates of wages fixed together with abstracts of the Act, the rules made there under and the name and address of the Inspector shall be displayed in English and in a language understood by the majority of the workers in the employment at the main entrances to the establishment and at its office and shall be maintained in a clean and legible condition.

c. A register of overtime shall be maintained by every employer in Form IV in which entries under the columns specified therein shall be made as and when overtime is worked in any establishment.

d. A register of wages shall be maintained by every employer at the work spot in Form X.

e. A wage slip in Form XI shall be issued by every employer to every person employed by him at least a day prior to the disbursement of wages.

f. A muster roll shall be maintained by every employer at the work spot in Form V and the attendance of each person employed in the establishment shall be recorded daily in that Form within 3 hours of the commencement of the work shift or relay for the day as the case may be.

g. All registers and the muster roll shall be preserved for a period of three years after the date of last entry made therein.

Weekly day of rest: An employee in a scheduled employment in respect of which minimum rates of wages have been fixed under the Act, shall be allowed a day of rest every week, which shall ordinarily be Sunday.

Number of hours of work: The number of hours which shall constitute a normal working day, shall be-(a) in the case of an adult -9 hours;(b) in the case of a child-41/2 hours.

Overtime rate of wages: When a worker works in an employment for more than nine hours on any day or for more than forty-eight hours in any week, he shall, in respect of overtime work, be entitled to wages,-(a) in the case of employment in agriculture, at one and a half time the ordinary rate of wages;(b) In the case of any other scheduled employment, at double the ordinary rate of wages.