Update 125: Karnataka HC Judgement in favour of Minimum Wages, Attack on activists in Jharkhand and more

[Rozi Roti]

साथियों,

एक महत्वपूर्ण व्यापक आदेश में कर्णाटक उच्च न्यायलय ने यह आदेश दिया है की केंद्र सर्कार नरेगा मजदूरों को न्यूनतम मजदूरी देने के लिए बाध्य है (उनका निर्णय संलागित है, और नीचे अंग्रेजी में मुख्य दलीलों का सारांश भी.) जेम्स हेरेंज ने झारखण्ड से एक छोटा सा नोट भेजा है, हिस्में नरेगा से जुड़े सामाजिक कार्यकर्ताओं पर हुए एक और हमले का विवरण है. प्रोफेस्सर पुष्पेन्द्र ने एक नयी कमिटी के लिए सुझाव मांगे हैं, जो नरेगा की मार्गदर्शिकाओं में संशोधन करेगी. यह सुझाव रोज़गार के माध्यम से, या प्रोफ. पुष्पेन्द्र को pus...@yahoo.com पर भेजे जा सकते हैं. इसके अलावा, एक नोट है, रांची के कांके प्रखंड में “बिज़नस कोरेस्पोंडेंट” कैसे चल रहे हैं, उस पर. 

आशीष

Dear Friends

In an important and far-reaching judgement, the Karnataka High Court has ruled that the Central Govt. cannot exempt itself from the payment of minimum wages to NREGA Workers (See Attached Judgement, and summary of arguments in section 4.1). James Herenj from Jharkhand provides a small note (in hindi) on how NREGA activists continue to be targeted by contractors in Jharkhand (section 3.2). Prof. Pushpendra requested suggestions as a member of a new committee for Revision of NREGA guidelines, and has sent the Terms of Reference of the committee. Suggestions can be sent through rozgar, or to Prof. Pushpendra directly, at pus...@yahoo.com. Apart from that, there is a small note on how Business Correspondents are doing in Kanke, Ranchi. 

Warmly

Aashish

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1. Developments in Delhi 
1.1 Amendment in Schedule 1 of NREGA: Provision of Land Development, Horticulture Works and Irrigation Facilities to Beneficiaries of "Forest Rights Act" [Notification here]
1.2 PMO to review NREGA on 29th September, 2011 [Details here]
1.3 Government mulls private sector participation in NREGA [News Item here]
1.4 Constitution of Committee for Revision of NREGA Guidelines [Via Prof. Pushpendra] [Terms of Reference attached]

2. News Items

2.1 Jharkhand: Less than half of NREGA Works Completed,  Govt. Gets Reminder on paying Compensation to Niyamat Ansari's family, Whistleblowers force intervention at highest level, Pay Hike for NREGA Officials
2.2 Ministry Note on NREGA Reforms: Will it fix NREGA?, Some good suggestions
2.3 Other Developments: Govt. Mulls Private participation, Fine Lax state officials in NREGA: Jairam Ramesh
2.4 States Performance Varies on NREGA

3. From the Field
3.1 Business Correspondents in Kanke, Ranchi  [Note Attached]
3.2 NREGA activist threatened by contractor, Payment process disturbed in Manatu, Palamu(Via James Herenj) [Details attached, in Hindi]
3.3 Wages given after long struggle by Mati Maa Mahila Morcha [Via Pravat Kumar Sahu] [Case Study attached]

28 NREGA Workers had worked for 148 days from 14th Feb 2011 to 18th April 2011, but were not paid their wages totaling Rs.49,125/-. This despite the fact that they had been struggling unitedly from local officials to P.Raj Secretary. They finall got them just a few days back, after a long struggle along with Mati Maa Mahila Morcha. 

4. In the courts

4.1 Karnataka High Court Rules in favour of Minimum Wages for NREGA Workers [Images of Judgement here]

The Karnataka High Court, hearing the matter on whether the Central government can fix the NREGA wage below the minimum wage (using section 6(1) of the act ("Notwithstanding anything contained in the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the central government may specify the wage rate for the purpose of this act"), ruled that "we are of the opinion that the exercise of power by the first respondent (the central government) to notify the wage  rate under Section 6(1) at the rates lesser than the minimum wages notified for that particular area is not sustainable." Accordingly, the court asked the central government fix the minimum wage in such a manner that the wage rate notified under NREGA "be not less than the minimum wage fixed by the state  government under section 3 of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 for agricultural workers applicable to that area."

The central government had argued that the clause  contained in the NREGA 2005 was a "non-obstinate clause", thus giving the NREGA 2005 overriding effect over the Minimum Wages Act. However, the court noted that a "non-obstinate clause" applies only when two statutes are in contradiction of each other, which was not the case here. The court further noted that non payment of Minimum Wages amounts to a violation of Article 14 (Equality before law) and Article 23 (Protection of Traffic in Human Beings and Forced Labour) of the Constitution of India. The High Court also referred to a similar case brought before the Supreme Court against similar provisions in the Rajasthan Famine Relief Employees [Exemption from Labour Laws] Act, where the Supreme Court had ruled that "The state cannot under the guise of helping these affected persons extract work of utility and value from them without paying the minimum wage". 

5. Event

5.1 National Conference on Grievance Redress and Whistle-blower Protection, on 10th and 11th October, 2011, Organised by National Campaign for People's Right to Information, in New Delhi [Details Attached]

 

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