Imphal, August 25: Keeping in with its objective, the office of the State Commissioner Labour has been implementing various Labour Laws to protect over 8 lakhs labourers in urban and rural areas of the Manipur, claimed an official source.

Entrusting the statutory powers conferred under various Labour Laws, a 25-member committee constituted at the State with Deputy Labour Commissioner as the chairman and another 53-member committee which include 28 rural labour inspectors at the block level have been working to ensure improvement and protection of the service conditions of the worker engaged in various employments in urban and rural areas, said a source.

Acting on the recommendations of the Advisory Board, the State Government is under active consideration to revise the rate of minimum wages for the Labour, the source said.

It may be noted here that the minimum wages for the employees in the scheduled employments was last revised in 1996 and the same is being implemented till date.

The rates of the daily minimum daily wages currently given to unskilled labourers is Rs 70.45 in the valley and Rs 73.45 in the hilly area whereas Rs 75.70 in the valley and Rs 78.70 in the hills for semi-skilled labourers and Rs 77.45 in the valley, and Rs 80.45 in the hills for the skilled labourers.

According to the annual report, 2004-05 of the Labour Dept the minimum wage was implemented for the agricultural workers, motor transport workers, building and construction works, etc.

Under the relevant provisions of the Labour Laws, employment of women labour in night nights is being checked, the source said.

Moreover, payment of remuneration of women labourers equal to the remuneration of man labourers for the equal works is also being ensured and the discrimination on the ground of sex against the women in the matter of employments is also checked under the Equal Remuneration Act 1976, the source added.

Apart from this, the prohibition of employment of child labour under the various Labour Laws are also being enforced for elimination of child labour in the State, the source claimed.

Under the Workmen Compensation Act, 1923 and Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972, as many as 37 cases were registered during 2004-05 out of which 13 cases have been deposed off thereby 31 workmen and dependents of the deceased were benefited by giving Rs 85,41,869.However, there was no claim for recovering gratuity from the employers under Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 last year.

The source further claimed that the service condition of the labourers are also being improved with enforcement of Acts like Contract Labour (R & A) Act, 1970, Sales promotion Employees (Condition of Services) Act, 1979, etc.

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