Research Abstracts on Child Labour Women Labour - Nipccd

Wages
Singh, C.S.K. (2002).
Cash and in-kind modes of wage payment in Maharashtra. NOIDA : V. V. Giri
National Labour Institute. 26 p.
Key Words : 1.LABOUR 2.WAGES 3.MINIMUM WAGES 4.CASH PAYMENT 5.NON CASH PAYMENT
6.PAYMENT IN KIND 7.PIECE RATE WORK 8.AGRICULTURAL LABOUR 9.MAHARASHTRA
Abstract : Wages, as defined under the Act, means all remuneration capable of being
expressed in terms of money. The present study explores the prevalent modes of payment,
the workers’ preference, and the preference determinants. The study covered five
districts of Maharashtra namely, Sangli, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, Pune and Nagpur. It was found
that for the purpose of minimum wages, the State Government has classified workers into
three categories: daily rated, mahinedar or monthly rated, and saldar or salkari or working
on yearly basis. It was also observed that the mode of wage payment, cash or in-kind is
district neutral, taluk neutral and even village neutral. It is, instead, employment relation
specific and crop specific. Cash payment as a principle mode of payment is supplemented by
kind component (tea, wheat, chilli, onion, coconut and clothes, etc.) as a subsidiary mode. It
was found that in Kalamba village of Kolhapur district a large number of agricultural workers
were migrants, both inter district and intra-district. They have been engaged as yearly
workers for the last 10-12 years. The workers contracted debts from the employers and
became permanent farm servants, getting a monthly wage of Rs.1500/- plus breakfast on
paper. The actual cash wage was however Rs.20/- per day only. In Basarage village of
Gandhingaj taluk, Pune, the situation was identical. The Saldar workers were indebted to
employers. Here the wage on paper was Rs.12,000/- per year. In addition a worker gets the
following articles in kind: wheat 50 kg, chilli 5 kg, onion 10 kg, and clothes 1 pair. In Karnal
village of Sangli district workers receive their share of wage payment in cash. There were
instances of labour attachment system in cash crops as well. The farmers of Shankarpur
village of Nagpur district employed saldar workers who were engaged in the cultivation of
guava, chiku (sapota) and papaya. Monthly wage was Rs.1200/- to Rs.1500/- inclusive of
deduction by the farm owner for adjusting the debt amount. In Narbe village of Ratnagiri
district mango cultivation provides employment for six to seven months per year. The
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<strong>Research</strong> <strong>Abstracts</strong> on Child Labour, Labour and Women Labour 1998 - 2009