Lok Sabha passes Payment of Wages Bill

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Payment of Wages (Amendment) Bill, 2017 which seeks to enable employers to pay wages to workers through cheque or directly crediting to their accounts.

The bill, moved by Labour and Employment Minister Bandaru Dattatreya in the House, will replace the Ordinance promulgated by the President on 28th December last year.

Speaking about the bill, Dattatreya said, the new legislation will help check exploitation of workers engaged in un-organised sectors and they will get exact salaries in their bank accounts.

He said, the amendment enables the Centre as well as the state governments to notify industries where employers will pay wages either through cheque or crediting that into workers' bank accounts.

Initiating the discussion, N K Premachndran of RSP opposed the government's move of bringing ordinance in this regard.

He said, the ordinance can only be brought in extraordinary conditions. He, however, supported the contents of bill. Dr Virendra Kumar of BJP supported the bill saying that it checks exploitation of the workers who were often paid less salary than what was put in the records.

Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary of Congress also opposed the government's move of adopting ordinance route for the purpose. He also questioned whether the requisite infrastructure is in place in conducting such transactions.