The Payment of Wages Act
The Payment of Wages Act, 1936 is a central legislation which applies to the persons employed in the factories and to persons employed in industrial or other establishments specified in sub-clauses (a) to (g) of clause (ii) of section 2 of this Act.
Salient Features
This Act has been enacted with the intention of ensuring timely payment of wages to the workers and for payment of wages without unauthorized deductions. The salary in factories / establishments employing less than 1000 workers is required to be paid by
7th of every month and in other cases by 10th day of every month. A worker, who either has not been paid wages in time or an unauthorized deductions have been made from his / her wages, can file a Claim either directly or through a Trade Union or through an
Inspector under this Act, before with the Authority appointed under the Payment of Wages Act. The power for hearing and deciding Claims under this Act has been vested at present with the Presiding Officer of a Labour Court.
You may be aware that the Bill to amend Minimum Wages Act 1948 & Payment of Wages Act 1936 is passed by Maharashtra Legislature in April 2010 for mandatory payment of wages through Bank and cheques to all labourers in the organised and unorganised sector.