Inter-state Workmen Act (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act 1979

Inter-state Workmen Act (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act 1979

Subject: Polity

Context: Jharkhand CM said the state had received a commitment from BRO to recruit labourers directly from the state, register itself under the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, and sign an MoU, yet, there had been many complaints from labourers.

Concept:

• Issue is that it is alleged that when labourers go to work for BRO, they are paid only half the salary they are promised thus violating the contract and promise.

Key provisions of the Act:

• It regulates the employment of inter-State migrants and their conditions of service.
• It puts in place a system of registration of such establishments employing inter-state migrants.
• The wages of the migrant workers must not be lower than the wages mentioned in the Minimum Wages Act.
• The wage rates, number of holidays, working hour and other conditions of recruitment of a migrant worker must be same as those extended to other local workmen in the same establishment provided that nature of their work is same.
• It is applicable to every establishment that employs five or more migrant workmen from other States; or if it had employed five or more such workmen on any day in the preceding 12 months.
• The principal employer is prohibited from employing inter-State workmen without a certificate of registration from the relevant authority.
• The law also lays down that every contractor who recruits workmen from one State for deployment in another State should obtain a license to do so.
• Contractors are bound by certain conditions. Ex- committing them to providing terms and conditions of the agreement or any other arrangement on the basis of which they recruit workers.