New Delhi, Aug. 1: The thirty-third report of the Committee on Petitions, presented to the Rajya Sabha to-day had recommended that all employees irrespective of different designations or categories drawing salary up to Rs. 1,600 per month be included in the term “workmen” as defined in the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. Legislation already exists where an employee drawing a salary not exceeding Rs. 1,600 per month in any industry has been given protection of labour legislation, namely the Payment of Bonus Act, the report says. The limit of Rs. 1,600, the committee feels, must have been fixed by the Government on some “rational basis keeping in view the fact that all sections of employees drawing a salary of up to Rs. 1,600 per month do need the protection of labour legislation.” The committee has made the recommendation while considering a petition presented by Mr. Arjun Arora, a former MP, and two others stating that the junior management and supervisory staff, which includes a number of technical personnel doing supervising duties, in private oil companies in India have no job security and legal protection for safeguarding their interests. The petitioners contended that the junior management and supervisory staff in private oil companies got more than Rs. 500 per month as total enrolments and as such they were not entitled to any protection.
