Government Wants You To Work For Nine Hours A Day But Makes No Promises On Minimum Salary
But current salaries are not even sufficient to last 10-15 days as living expenses have increased manifold while salaries have remained almost stagnant in India.
A nine-hour usual working day has been suggested by the government of India in its draft wage code rules while the government has refrained from fixing a national minimum wage. This, along with a whole set of draft rules, has now been put in the public domain by the Labour ministry.
GARMENT WORKERS DEMANDING PROPER WAGES. FILE PHOTO BCCL
On minimum wages, the draft rules propose that the manner of calculating the minimum rate of wages shall be fixed on the day basis in view of several factors, including an equivalent of three adult consumption units, a net intake of 2700 calories per day per consumption unit, 66 meters cloth per year per standard working-class family, housing rent expenditure to constitute 10 per cent of food and clothing expenditure, and among others, fuel, electricity and other miscellaneous items of expenditure to constitute 20 percent of minimum wage.
The draft rule then goes on to state that eight hours of daily work will be calculated for 26 days of work in a month for fixing monthly salary. This is also an existing rule for decades.
EMPLOYEES ON DHARNA DEMANDING PAY HIKE. FILE PHOTO BCCL
Several trade unions are of the opinion that employers are already exploiting their workers by making them work for nine-hour shifts whereas the prescribed working hours currently are of eight hours and that the government¡¯s definition of a working day as a nine-hour shift will lead to further exploitation of workers.
There is another contention and that is on the basis of lining non-food expenses such as housing rent allowance to food expenditure. Experts contend that an increasing number of workers are migrating to urban and metropolitan areas, where living expenses may be far greater than food expenses.
Replying to a supplementary question in the Lok Sabha earlier this year in August, Minister of Personnel and Public Grievances Jitendra Singh had said that the Modi government will take necessary actions to make sure employees working in private companies to get the minimum wage of Rs 24,000 per month.
The minister further added that the minimum salary ceiling was enhanced from Rs 18,000 per month to Rs 24,000 per month. Singh made it clear that the govt will take strict action against the companies which will not follow the rules.
REPRESENTATIONAL PHOTO. BCCL
However, the draft rules have stayed away from incorporating any minimum wages while it has prescribed a nine-hour working shift as a usual working day.
As it is, the living expenses are rising manifold in urban and metropolitan areas whereas employees are enduring an almost stagnant salary for quite some time. The disenchantment is in the air and whereas the government may want to support the crippling entrepreneurs by increasing the working hours, it also needs to look at the employees who are faced with numerous challenges amid an economic slowdown and rising living expenses. Prices of everything from fruits and vegetables to petrol and medicines have climbed manifold in recent years whereas the salaries have not increased at the same pace.
The purpose of putting the draft rules in the public domain is to allow inputs from various stakeholders, including the general public. The draft rules, needless to mention, are not final but will be instrumental in shaping the revised rules. The government, in the meanwhile, has invited feedback from citizens and stakeholders.
