L. A. DEBATES (CENTRAL) QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 579
16
*** Desirability of Raising the Standard of** Labour Wages
86. Dr. Sir Zia Uddin Ahmad : (a) Will the Honourable the Labour Member please state what is the standard by which the wages of labourers are determined ?
(b) In view of the fall in the purchasing power of a rupee from sixteen to six annas, have the Government of India taken any action to enforce proportionate rise in the daily wages of labourers ? If not, why not ?
The Honourable Dr. B. R. Ambedkar : (a) The question of wages is generally a matter of contract between the employer and labour.
(b) The rise in the cost of living, which amounts to a fall in purchasing power, has not been uniform throughout India.
The Government of India has not taken action to enforce increase in wages or to grant any specific dearness allowance for the following reasons—
(1) Government has not as yet accepted the policy of fixing a minimum wage by law. That is a matter which needs to be considered before any compulsion is enforced.
(2) There are no index numbers throughout India which can be relied upon to measure the actual cost of living and consequently no specific dearness allowance can be prescribed.
(3) The rise in the cost of living not being uniform, it is not possible to lay down from the Centre a policy which could be applicable to all Provinces having regard to the diversity of circumstances obtaining in them.
The appointment of Labour Commissioners and the provision made for adjudication under the Defence of India Rules in the case of disputes occurring in war time are steps taken by Government to ensure fair conditions of work for labour.
Mr. N. M. Joshi : May I ask when Government propose to undertake legislation for fixing up the minimum wages ?
- Legislative Assembly Debates (Central), Vol. I of 1943, 16th February 1943, pp.
267-68.