Minimum Wage Policies and Their Effects in Developing Countries: A Comparative Perspective

Fuente: Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT)
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Main Author: Uma Rani
Format: Artículo científico
Published: International Labour Organization 01/03/2017
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author Uma Rani
author_facet Uma Rani
Uma Rani
contents Minimum Wage Policies and Their Effects in Developing Countries: A Comparative Perspective Uma Rani India was one of the first developing countries to introduce the Minimum Wages Act in 1948 and it is still considered to be an important piece of labour legislation. However, the Act is only applicable to a small proportion of workers. This has resulted in intense academic and policy debate over the past decades about having a meaningful wage policy and a binding national minimum wage, which is applicable to all workers. This is especially important as the growth rates have been quite high over the past decade in India but income inequality has remained quite high. A number of developing economies like Brazil, China have been able to seize the opportunity of high growth rates and implemented a meaningful and enforceable minimum wage system. This paper makes an attempt to look at minimum wage policies and institutions in developing economies and the role they have played in providing a decent wage floor and securing a minimum living standard for low paid workers and their families. The paper also explores the policy lessons that can be learnt for improving the minimum setting mechanism and enforcement within the Indian context. 10.1007/s41027-017-0077-0 DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s41027-017-0077-0 publication.journalArticle
format Artículo científico
id ilo_995268292602676
institution Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT)
publishDate 01/03/2017
publisher International Labour Organization
spellingShingle Minimum Wage Policies and Their Effects in Developing Countries: A Comparative Perspective
Uma Rani
Minimum Wage Policies and Their Effects in Developing Countries: A Comparative Perspective Uma Rani India was one of the first developing countries to introduce the Minimum Wages Act in 1948 and it is still considered to be an important piece of labour legislation. However, the Act is only applicable to a small proportion of workers. This has resulted in intense academic and policy debate over the past decades about having a meaningful wage policy and a binding national minimum wage, which is applicable to all workers. This is especially important as the growth rates have been quite high over the past decade in India but income inequality has remained quite high. A number of developing economies like Brazil, China have been able to seize the opportunity of high growth rates and implemented a meaningful and enforceable minimum wage system. This paper makes an attempt to look at minimum wage policies and institutions in developing economies and the role they have played in providing a decent wage floor and securing a minimum living standard for low paid workers and their families. The paper also explores the policy lessons that can be learnt for improving the minimum setting mechanism and enforcement within the Indian context. 10.1007/s41027-017-0077-0 DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s41027-017-0077-0 publication.journalArticle
title Minimum Wage Policies and Their Effects in Developing Countries: A Comparative Perspective
url https://researchrepository.ilo.org/esploro/outputs/journalArticle/Minimum-Wage-Policies-and-Their-Effects/995268292602676