Parliament Question: Implementation of Minimum Wages

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2399 TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.08.2026 IMPLEMENTATION OF MINIMUM WAGES

2399. SHRI ZIA UR REHMAN:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to

state:

(a)whether the Government has conducted any assessment regarding the implementation of minimum wages for workers employed in the unorganised sector across the country;

(b)if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise;

(c) whether the Government has received complaints regarding non- payment of minimum wages and delayed payment of wages in the unorganised sector during the last three years; and

(d) if so, the details of action taken by the Government to ensure effective enforcement of minimum wage provisions and timely payment of wages? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a) to (d): The Code on Wages, 2019 which came into effect from

21.11.2025, has subsumed the provisions of the Payment of Wages Act, 1936, the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Payment of Bonus Act,1965 and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 by universalizing the applicability of the minimum wages.

Further, the Wages (Central) Rules, under the Code on Wages, 2019, were notified on 08.5.2026. The total number of cases in the central sphere related to violation of minimum wages, as per inputs received from the office of the Chief Labour Commissioner

(Central) is at Annexure-I. To ensure effective enforcement, a large number of claim applications were disposed and amount awarded in favour of employees/ workers; the details of which are at Annexure- II.

“Labour” as a subject is in the Concurrent List of the Constitution of India. Under the provisions of the Code on Wages 2019, both Central and the State Governments are empowered to fix, review, revise the minimum rates of wages for all the employments falling under their respective jurisdictions.

Contd..2/-:: 2 ::

In the Central sphere, enforcement is done through the Inspecting Officers of the office of Chief Labour Commissioner

(Central), commonly designated as Central Industrial Relations Machinery (CIRM) and the compliance in the State sphere is ensured through the State enforcement machinery. ** *****Annexure-I ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) To (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2399 FOR 03.08.2026 RAISED BY SHRI ZIA UR REHMAN REGARDING “IMPLEMENTATION OF MINIMUM WAGES”.

The details of claim applications relating to non-payment of minimum rates of wages and delayed payment of wages filed before the respective Authorities during 2023-24 ,2024-25 and 2025-26, in the Central Sphere are given below:

Year Claim Cases under the Claim Cases under Minimum Wages Act,1948 Payment of Wages Act 1936 / Rules 1681 664 2023-24 1264 857 2024-25 1068 2666 2025-26Annexure-II ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2399 FOR 03.08.2026 RAISED BY SHRI ZIA UR REHMAN REGARDING “IMPLEMENTATION OF MINIMUM WAGES”.

The details of claim applications disposed and amount awarded in favour of employees / workers during 2023-24 ,2024-25 and 2025-26, in the Central Sphere is as follows:

Minimum Wages Act,1948:

Year Disposed Awarded (in Rs.) No. of Workers Benefitted 2154 1,06,39,92,422 12,915 2023-24 1916 39,65,96,166 15,618 2024-25 1019 27,01,13,236 7,424 2025-26 Payment of Wages Act, 1936:

Year Disposed Awarded (in Rs.) No. of Workers Benefitted 746 9,16,37,127 2,494 2023-24 834 7,41,11,463 6,029 2024-25 1759 3,96,40,862 2,991 2025-26The details of Inspections conducted for enforcement of minimum wages and timely payment of wages to workers engaged in the establishment during 2023-24 ,2024-25 and 2025-26, in

the Central Sphere is as follows:

Year Inspections under Inspections under Minimum Wages Act,1948 Payment of Wages Act, 1936 /Rules 5,290 2,669 2023-24 4,320 1,745 2024-25 2,767 925 2025-26

Source : O/o Chief Labour Commissioner(Central) *****