Application of the Act

The payment of Wages Act, 1936 extends to the whole of India. It came into operation of 28th March, 1937. it applies in the first instance to the payment of wages to :

i) persons employed in any factory;

ii)persons employed (otherwise than in factory) upon any railway by a railway administration, either directly or, through a subcontractor, by a person fulfilling a contract with railways administration; and

iii) persons employed in an industrial or other establishment specified in sub-clauses

Responsibility for Payment of Wages :

Section 3 makes every employer responsible for the payment to persons employed by him of all wages required to be paid under the Act. Quite apart from this the following persons shall also be responsible for the payment of wages for persons employed otherwise by a contractor

i)In a factory, a person named as manager of a factory under the Factories Act, 1948.

ii) In industrial or other establishment a person responsible to the employer for the supervision and control of the industrial or other establishment : and

iii) Upon railways (otherwise than in factories), if the employer is the railway administration and the person nominated in this behalf.

Fixation of Wage Period

Section 4 imposes an obligation on every person responsible for payment of wages under section 3, to fix periods in respect of which such wages shall be payable. Such wage -period shall not exceed one month.