THE MINIMUM WAGES ACT, 1948
ACT NO. 11 OF 1948 · Enacted on [15th March, 1948.]
An Act to provide for fixing minimum rates of wages in certain employments.
WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for fixing minimum rates of wages in certain employments;
- Section 1. Short title and extent.
- Section 2. Interpretation.
- Section 3. Fixing of minimum rates of wages.
- Section 4. Minimum rate of wages.
- Section 5. Procedure for fixing and revising minimum wages.
- Section 6. [Omitted.].
- Section 7. Advisory Board.
- Section 8. Central Advisory Board.
- Section 9. Composition of committees, etc.
- Section 10. Correction of errors.
- Section 11. Wages in kind.
- Section 12. Payment of minimum rates of wages.
- Section 13. Fixing hours for a normal working day, etc.
- Section 14. Overtime.
- Section 15. Wages of worker who works for less than normal working day.
- Section 16. Wages for two or more classes of work.
- Section 17. Minimum time rate wages for piece work.
- Section 18. Maintenance of registers and records.
- Section 19. Inspectors.
- Section 20. Claims.
- Section 21. Single application in respect of a number of employees.
- Section 22. Penalties for certain offences.
- Section 22A. General provision for punishment of other offences.
- Section 22B. Cognizance of offences.
- Section 22C. Offences by companies.
- Section 22D. Payment of undisbursed amounts due to employees.
- Section 22E. Protection against attachment of assets of employer with Government.
- Section 22F. Application of Payment of Wages Act, 1936, to scheduled employments.
- Section 23. Exemption of employer from liability in certain cases.
- Section 24. Bar of suits.
- Section 25. Contracting out.
- Section 26. Exemptions and exceptions.
- Section 27. Power of State Government to add to Schedule.
- Section 28. Power of Central Government to give directions.
- Section 29. Power of the Central Government to make rules.
- Section 30. Power of appropriate Government to make rules.
- Section 30A. Rules made by Central Government to be laid before Parliament.
- Section 31. Validation of fixation of certain minimum rates of wages.
Footnotes
Page 3
- 1. This Act has been extended to Dadra and Nagar Haveli by Reg. 6 of 1963, s. 2 and the First Schedule; Pondicherry by Reg. 7of 1973, s. 3 and First Schedule; Lakshadweep by Reg. 8 of 1965, s. 3 and the Schedule; and Union territory of Goa, Damanand Diu by Notification No. G.S.R. 436, dated 16-4-1873, Gazette of India, Part II, sec. 3(i).This Act has been amended in Uttar Pradesh by U.P. Act 20 of 1960 (w.e.f. 1-1-1960), Bihar by Bihar Act 3 of 1961,Maharashtra by Maharashtra Act 10 of 1961, Andhra Pradesh by Andhra Pradesh Act 19 of 1961, Gujarat by Gujarat Act 22 of1961, Madhya Pradesh by Madhya Pradesh Act 11 of 1959, Kerala by Kerala Act 18 of 1960, Rajasthan by Rajasthan Act 4 of1969, Madhya Pradesh by Madhya Pradesh Act 36 of 1976 and Maharashtra by Maharashtra Act 25 of 1976.
- 2. The words “except the State of Jammu and Kashmir” omitted by Act 51 of 1970, s. 2 and the Schedule (w.e.f. 1-9-1971).
- 3. Subs. by Act 61 of 1986, s. 23, for clause (a).
- 4. Subs. by Act 30 of 1957, s. 2, for “Central Government, by a railway administration” .
- 5. Subs. by the A.O. 1950, for “an Act of the Central Legislature”
- 6. Ins. by Act 61 of 1986, s. 23.
- 7. Subs. by Act 26 of 1954, s. 2, for“clause (e) of sub-section (1) of section 9 of the Factories Act, 1934 (25 of 1934)”.
Page 4
- 1. Ins. by Act 30 of 1957, s. 2.
- 2. Subs. by the A.O. 1950, for “Crown”.
- 3. Subs. by Act 26 of 1954, s.3, for sub-section (1).
- 4. Subs. by Act 31 of 1961, s. 2, for clause (a).
Page 5
- 1. Ins. by Act 30 of 1957, s. 3.
- 2. Certain words, brackets and figure omitted by Act 31 of 1961, s. 2.
- 3. Subs. by s. 2, ibid., for certain words.
- 4. Ins. by s. 2, ibid.
Page 6
- 1. Subs. by Act 30 of 1957, s. 3 for clause (b).
Page 7
- 1. Subs. by Act 30 of 1957, s. 4, for section 5.
Page 8
- 1. Subs. by Act 30 of 1957, s. 6, for “committees, sub-committees, advisory committees and the advisory sub-committeesappointed under sections 5 and 6”
- 2. The words “advisory committee, advisory sub-committees” omitted by s. 7, ibid.
- 3. Subs. by s. 8, ibid., for section 10.
- 4. The words and figures “or section 10” omitted by s. 9, ibid.
Page 9
- 1. Section 13 re-numbered as sub-section (1) of thereof by Act 30 of 1957, s. 10.
- 2. Ins. by s. 10, ibid.
- 3. Subs. by Act 26 of 1954, s. 4 for “section 47 of the Factories Act, 1934 (25 of 1934)”.
Page 10
- 1. Subs. by Act 30 of 1857, s. 11, for clause (d).
- 2. Ins. by s. 11, ibid.
Page 11
- 1. Subs. by Act 30 of 1957, s. 12, for “any Commissioner for Workmen’s Compensation or”.
- 2. Ins. by s. 12, ibid.
- 3. Subs. by s. 12, ibid., for certain words.
- 4. Subs. by s. 12, ibid., for sub-section (3) .
Page 12
- 1. Subs. by Act 30 of 1957, s. 13, for “A single application”.
- 2.Ins. by s. 13, ibid.
- 3. Subs. by s. 14, ibid., for section 22.
Page 15
- 1. Ins. by Act 30 of 1957, s. 15.
- 2. Ins. by Act 26 of 1954, s. 5.
Page 16
- 1 The words “advisory committees, advisory sub-committees” omitted by Act 30 of 1957, s. 16.
- 2. Ins. by Act 31 of 1961, s. 3.
- 3. Section 30A re-numbered as sub-section (1) thereof by Act 4 of 2005, s. 2 and the Schedule (w.e.f. 11-1-2005).
Page 17
- 1. Ins. by Act 4 of 2005, s. 2 and the Schedule (w.e.f. 11-1-2005).
- 2. Subs. by Act 31 of 1961, s. 4, for section 31.
Page 18
- 1. Subs. by Act 30 of 1957, s. 18, for item No. 7.
- 2. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 3760, dated 4th December, 1962.
- 3. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 3760, dated 30th October, 1962.
- 4. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 1987, dated 30th May, 1968.
- 5. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 586, dated 5th February, 1970.
- 6. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 795, dated 13th February, 1970.
- 7. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 796, dated 18th February, 1970.
- 8. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 2357, dated 1st July, 1970.
- 9. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 3896, dated the 3rd September, 1971.10. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 3898, dated 15th September, 1971.11. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 2972, dated 1st July, 1972.12. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 2973, dated 1st July, 1972.13. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 2974, dated 6th July, 1972.
Page 19
- 1. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 1587, dated 24th May, 1973.
- 2. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 2311, dated 3rd July, 1975.
- 3. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 4030, dated 4th February, 1976.
- 4. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 558, dated 29th January, 1977.
- 5. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 1823, dated 14th June, 1978.
- 6. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 2945, dated 22nd September, 1978.
- 7. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 2950, dated 25th September, 1978.
- 8. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 3248, dated 26th October, 1978.
- 9. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 3671, dated 7th December, 1978.10. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 1757, dated 16th June, 1980.11. Ins. by notification No. S.O. 2473, dated 3rd September, 1980.
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