BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Friday quashed the state government's notifications on fixing/revising minimum wages for scheduled industries.
The court directed that the state should consider the advisory committee's report and revise/fix the minimum wages before November 30 and publish the notification in the interest of thousands of workers whose day-to-day necessities of life have been kept in view by Parliament while enacting the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.
Till such time, the petitioners (automobile engineering, including service and repair, foundries, hospitals, oil mills, printing presses, ceramics, stoneware, pottery works and veneer industries) should continue to pay 75% of the wages to their employees, subject to adjustment against the wages to be fixed under fresh notification by the government.
"There being glaring lapse and gross dereliction of duty on the part of the officials/officers of the Labour Department in the Secretariat, the Chief Secretary to the government shall conduct an inquiry, and appropriately penalise the officials/officers concerned. The action taken shall be reported to this Court on or before 31.12.2016," the court observed in its order.
