Basic Requirement for sustainable HRM

Basic Requirement for sustainable HRM

Article 39. Certain principles of policy to be followed by the State.—The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing—

Ø       (d) that there is equal pay for equal work for both men and women;

Article 43. Living wage, etc., for workers.—The State shall Endeavour to secure, by suitable legislation or economic organisation or in any other way,

Ø      to all workers, agricultural, industrial or otherwise, work,

Ø      a living wage,

Ø      Conditions of work ensuring a decent standard of life and

Ø      Full enjoyment of leisure and social and cultural opportunities

 

Minimum wage: bare minimum necessities of life and for preservation of efficiency of worker15th labour conference ,1957 quantified term minimum wages:

§         Standard working family: three consumption units for one earner; earnings of women children and adolescents is disregarded

§         minimum food requirement should be calculated on the basis of 2,700 calories per day per consumption unit (as recommended by Dr. Aykroyd for an average Indian adult of moderate activity);

§         clothing requirement to be based on per capita consumption of 18 yards per annum, which

            gives 72 yards per annum for the average worker's family;

§         for housing, the rent corresponding to the minimum area provided for under the government's industrial housing schemes should be taken; and

§         Fuel, lighting and other items of expenditure should constitute 20 per cent of the total minimum wage.

§         The Supreme Court fully upheld these criteria in the case of Unichoy vs State of Kerala in 1961. In the later Reptakos Brett Vs Workmen case in 1991, the SC went one step further, and held that besides the five components enunciated by the 15th ILC, minimum wages should include a sixth component, amounting to 25% of the total minimum wage, to cover children's education, medical treatment, recreation, festivals and ceremonies. The SC also observed that a wage structure including the above six components would be 'nothing more than minimum wage at subsistence level' which the workers must get 'at all times and under all circumstances'.