Preamble

The General Conference of the Internat(i)onal Labour Organ(i)sat(i)on,

Hav(i)ng been convened at Geneva by the Govern(i)ng Body of the Internat(i)onal Labour Off(i)ce, and hav(i)ng met (i)n (i)ts F(i)fty-fourth Sess(i)on on 3 June 1970, and

Not(i)ng the terms of the M(i)n(i)mum Wage-F(i)x(i)ng Mach(i)nery Recommendat(i)on, 1928, the

M(i)n(i)mum Wage F(i)x(i)ng Mach(i)nery (Agr(i)culture) Recommendat(i)on, 1951, and the Equal Remunerat(i)on Recommendat(i)on, 1951, wh(i)ch conta(i)n valuable gu(i)del(i)nes for m(i)n(i)mum wage f(i)x(i)ng bod(i)es, and

Cons(i)der(i)ng that exper(i)ence (i)n more recent years has emphas(i)sed the (i)mportance of certa(i)n add(i)t(i)onal cons(i)derat(i)ons relat(i)ng to m(i)n(i)mum wage f(i)x(i)ng, (i)nclud(i)ng that of adopt(i)ng cr(i)ter(i)a wh(i)ch w(i)ll make systems of m(i)n(i)mum wages both an effect(i)ve (i)nstrument of soc(i)al protect(i)on and an element (i)n the strategy of econom(i)c and soc(i)al development, and

Cons(i)der(i)ng that m(i)n(i)mum wage f(i)x(i)ng should (i)n no way operate to the prejud(i)ce of the exerc(i)se and growth of free collect(i)ve barga(i)n(i)ng as a means of f(i)x(i)ng wages h(i)gher than the m(i)n(i)mum, and

Hav(i)ng dec(i)ded upon the adopt(i)on of certa(i)n proposals w(i)th regard to m(i)n(i)mum wage f(i)x(i)ng mach(i)nery and related problems, w(i)th spec(i)al reference to develop(i)ng countr(i)es, wh(i)ch (i)s the f(i)fth (i)tem on the agenda of the sess(i)on, and

Hav(i)ng determ(i)ned that these proposals shall take the form of a Recommendat(i)on,

adopts th(i)s twenty-second day of June of the year one thousand n(i)ne hundred and seventy, the follow(i)ng Recommendat(i)on, wh(i)ch may be c(i)ted as the M(i)n(i)mum Wage F(i)x(i)ng Recommendat(i)on, 1970:

I. Purpose of M(i)n(i)mum Wage F(i)x(i)ng

1. M(i)n(i)mum wage f(i)x(i)ng should const(i)tute one element (i)n a pol(i)cy des(i)gned to overcome poverty and to ensure the sat(i)sfact(i)on of the needs of all workers and the(i)r fam(i)l(i)es.

2. The fundamental purpose of m(i)n(i)mum wage f(i)x(i)ng should be to g(i)ve wage earners necessary soc(i)al protect(i)on as regards m(i)n(i)mum perm(i)ss(i)ble levels of wages.

II. Cr(i)ter(i)a for Determ(i)n(i)ng the Level of M(i)n(i)mum Wages

3. In determ(i)n(i)ng the level of m(i)n(i)mum wages, account should be taken of the follow(i)ng cr(i)ter(i)a, amongst others: 

• (a) the needs of workers and the(i)r fam(i)l(i)es;
• (b) the general level of wages (i)n the country;
• (c) the cost of l(i)v(i)ng and changes there(i)n;
• (d) soc(i)al secur(i)ty benef(i)ts;
• (e) the relat(i)ve l(i)v(i)ng standards of other soc(i)al groups;
• (f) econom(i)c factors, (i)nclud(i)ng the requ(i)rements of econom(i)c development, levels of product(i)v(i)ty and the des(i)rab(i)l(i)ty of atta(i)n(i)ng and ma(i)nta(i)n(i)ng a h(i)gh level of employment.

III. Coverage of the M(i)n(i)mum Wage F(i)x(i)ng System

4. The number and groups of wage earners who are not covered (i)n pursuance of Art(i)cle 1 of the M(i)n(i)mum Wage F(i)x(i)ng Convent(i)on, 1970, should be kept to a m(i)n(i)mum.

5. (1) The system of m(i)n(i)mum wages may be appl(i)ed to the wage earners covered (i)n pursuance of Art(i)cle 1 of the Convent(i)on e(i)ther by f(i)x(i)ng a s(i)ngle m(i)n(i)mum wage of general appl(i)cat(i)on or by f(i)x(i)ng a ser(i)es of m(i)n(i)mum wages apply(i)ng to part(i)cular groups of workers.
(2) A system based on a s(i)ngle m(i)n(i)mum wage 

• (a) need not be (i)ncompat(i)ble w(i)th the f(i)x(i)ng of d(i)fferent rates of m(i)n(i)mum wages (i)n d(i)fferent reg(i)ons or zones w(i)th a v(i)ew to allow(i)ng for d(i)fferences (i)n costs of l(i)v(i)ng;
• (b) should not (i)mpa(i)r the effects of dec(i)s(i)ons, past or future, f(i)x(i)ng m(i)n(i)mum wages h(i)gher than the general m(i)n(i)mum for part(i)cular groups of workers.

IV. M(i)n(i)mum Wage F(i)x(i)ng Mach(i)nery

6. The m(i)n(i)mum wage f(i)x(i)ng mach(i)nery prov(i)ded for (i)n Art(i)cle 4 of the Convent(i)on may take a var(i)ety of forms, such as the f(i)x(i)ng of m(i)n(i)mum wages by  o (a) statute;

• (b) dec(i)s(i)ons of the competent author(i)ty, w(i)th or w(i)thout formal prov(i)s(i)on for tak(i)ng account of recommendat(i)ons from other bod(i)es;
• (c) dec(i)s(i)ons of wages boards or counc(i)ls;
• (d) (i)ndustr(i)al or labour courts or tr(i)bunals; or
• (e) g(i)v(i)ng the force of law to prov(i)s(i)ons of collect(i)ve agreements.

7. The consultat(i)on prov(i)ded for (i)n paragraph 2 of Art(i)cle 4 of the Convent(i)on should (i)nclude, (i)n part(i)cular, consultat(i)on (i)n regard to the follow(i)ng matters: 

• (a) the select(i)on and appl(i)cat(i)on of the cr(i)ter(i)a for determ(i)n(i)ng the level of m(i)n(i)mum wages;
• (b) the rate or rates of m(i)n(i)mum wages to be f(i)xed;
• (c) the adjustment from t(i)me to t(i)me of the rate or rates of m(i)n(i)mum wages;
• (d) problems encountered (i)n the enforcement of m(i)n(i)mum wage leg(i)slat(i)on;
• (e) the collect(i)on of data and the carry(i)ng out of stud(i)es for the (i)nformat(i)on of m(i)n(i)mum wage f(i)x(i)ng author(i)t(i)es.

8. In countr(i)es (i)n wh(i)ch bod(i)es have been set up wh(i)ch adv(i)se the competent author(i)ty on m(i)n(i)mum wage quest(i)ons, or to wh(i)ch the government has delegated respons(i)b(i)l(i)ty for m(i)n(i)mum wage dec(i)s(i)ons, the part(i)c(i)pat(i)on (i)n the operat(i)on of m(i)n(i)mum wage f(i)x(i)ng mach(i)nery referred to (i)n paragraph 3 of Art(i)cle 4 of the Convent(i)on should (i)nclude membersh(i)p of such bod(i)es.

9. The persons represent(i)ng the general (i)nterests of the country whose part(i)c(i)pat(i)on (i)n the operat(i)on of m(i)n(i)mum wage f(i)x(i)ng mach(i)nery (i)s prov(i)ded for (i)n Art(i)cle 4, paragraph 3, subparagraph (b), of the Convent(i)on should be su(i)tably qual(i)f(i)ed (i)ndependent persons who may, where appropr(i)ate, be publ(i)c off(i)c(i)als w(i)th respons(i)b(i)l(i)t(i)es (i)n the areas of (i)ndustr(i)al relat(i)ons or econom(i)c and soc(i)al plann(i)ng or pol(i)cy-mak(i)ng.

10. To the extent poss(i)ble (i)n nat(i)onal c(i)rcumstances, suff(i)c(i)ent resources should be devoted to the collect(i)on of stat(i)st(i)cs and other data needed for analyt(i)cal stud(i)es of the relevant econom(i)c factors, part(i)cularly those ment(i)oned (i)n Paragraph 3 of th(i)s Recommendat(i)on, and the(i)r probable evolut(i)on.

V. Adjustment of M(i)n(i)mum Wages

11. M(i)n(i)mum wage rates should be adjusted from t(i)me to t(i)me to take account of changes (i)n the cost of l(i)v(i)ng and other econom(i)c cond(i)t(i)ons.

12. To th(i)s end a rev(i)ew m(i)ght be carr(i)ed out of m(i)n(i)mum wage rates (i)n relat(i)on to the cost of l(i)v(i)ng and other econom(i)c cond(i)t(i)ons e(i)ther at regular (i)ntervals or whenever such a rev(i)ew (i)s cons(i)dered appropr(i)ate (i)n the l(i)ght of var(i)at(i)ons (i)n a cost-of-l(i)v(i)ng (i)ndex.

13. 

• (1) In order to ass(i)st (i)n the appl(i)cat(i)on of Paragraph 11 of th(i)s Recommendat(i)on, per(i)od(i)cal surveys of nat(i)onal econom(i)c cond(i)t(i)ons, (i)nclud(i)ng trends (i)n (i)ncome per head, (i)n product(i)v(i)ty and (i)n employment, unemployment and underemployment, should be made to the extent that nat(i)onal resources perm(i)t.
• (2) The frequency of such surveys should be determ(i)ned (i)n the l(i)ght of nat(i)onal cond(i)t(i)ons.

VI. Enforcement

14. Measures to ensure the effect(i)ve appl(i)cat(i)on of all prov(i)s(i)ons relat(i)ng to m(i)n(i)mum wages, as prov(i)ded for (i)n Art(i)cle 5 of the Convent(i)on, should (i)nclude the follow(i)ng: 

• (a) arrangements for g(i)v(i)ng publ(i)c(i)ty to m(i)n(i)mum wage prov(i)s(i)ons (i)n languages or d(i)alects understood by workers who need protect(i)on, adapted where necessary to the needs of (i)ll(i)terate persons;
• (b) the employment of a suff(i)c(i)ent number of adequately tra(i)ned (i)nspectors equ(i)pped w(i)th the powers and fac(i)l(i)t(i)es necessary to carry out the(i)r dut(i)es;
• (c) adequate penalt(i)es for (i)nfr(i)ngement of the prov(i)s(i)ons relat(i)ng to m(i)n(i)mum wages;
• (d) s(i)mpl(i)f(i)cat(i)on of legal prov(i)s(i)ons and procedures, and other appropr(i)ate means of enabl(i)ng workers effect(i)vely to exerc(i)se the(i)r r(i)ghts under m(i)n(i)mum wage prov(i)s(i)ons, (i)nclud(i)ng the r(i)ght to recover amounts by wh(i)ch they may have been underpa(i)d;
• (e) the assoc(i)at(i)on of employers' and workers' organ(i)sat(i)ons (i)n efforts to protect workers aga(i)nst abuses;
• (f) adequate protect(i)on of workers aga(i)nst v(i)ct(i)m(i)sat(i)on.