The State Government of Tamil Nadu vide its notification dated 11th April 2022, has issued the Draft Code on Wages (Tamil Nadu) Rules, 2022 and has invited comments and suggestions from the public which shall be addressed to the Secretary to the Government, Labour Welfare and Skill Development Department, Fort St. George, Chennai – 600009 through the Commissioner of Labour, DMS Campus, Chennai – 600 006 or by e-mail – com.tnlabour@nic.in within 45 days.
As per the draft rules, the minimum rate of wages shall be fixed on ‘day’ basis keeping in view the following criteria, namely:-
- The standard working class family which includes a spouse and two children apart from the earning worker; an equivalent of three adult consumption units;
- A net intake of 2700 calories per day per consumption unit;
- 66 metres cloth per year per standard working class family;
- Housing rent expenditure to constitute 10 per cent of food and clothing expenditure;
- Fuel, electricity and other miscellaneous items of expenditure to constitute 20 percent of the minimum wages.
The normal working day shall be comprised of eight hours of work and one or more intervals of rest which in total shall not exceed one hour. The working day of an employee shall be so arranged that inclusive of the intervals of rest, if any, it shall not spread over more than twelve hours on any day.
Every employer shall issue wage slips, electronically or otherwise to the employees in Form V. Where the employees are employed in an establishment through contractor, then, the company or firm or association or any other person who is the proprietor of the establishment shall pay to the contractor the amount payable to him or it, as the case may be, before the date of payment of wages so that payment of wages to the employees shall be made positively.
The Annual Return shall be filed electronically by every employer of an establishment who are not covered under the Occupational Safety and Health Code, in Form VII.
