E-Pay Gateway for Minimum Wages

The state government has decided to introduce an e-payment facility that would ensure disbursal of minimum wages.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  In a move that would benefit thousands of private sector employees in the state, who face issues related to underpayment of wages, the state government has decided to introduce an e-payment facility that would ensure disbursal of minimum wages.

Labour Minister Shibu Baby John told Assembly that the gateway would benefit private sector employees, including those working in unaided schools and hospitals.

The system will be introduced in select sectors and payroll system will be monitored by Labour Department. The employees will get online wage slip.

“Five banks have agreed to partner with the government for the initiative titled wage security scheme. The Keltron has developed a software for this,” the Minister told the Assembly on Friday.  Terming the scheme as the first-of-its-kind in the country, the minister said the pilot phase will be implemented in the capital.

“The seven sectors to be included in the pilot phase include unaided schools, shops and commercial establishments, IT firms, hospitals and jewellers,” he said.

The governemnt will take action on erring employers, he said. The government held discussions on the scheme implementation with representatives of nationalised, scheduled commercial banks and employers in various private sectors.

The government is also drafting a Bare Wages Bill for workers in the sectors which do not come under the purview of minimum wages rules, he said.

The unaided educational institutions would be brought under the ambit of the Bill, he said. He said steps were being taken to amend the Minimum Wages Act 1948, Kerala Industrial Establishments Act, 1958, Kerala Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1960, and plantation labour rules.

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