Workmen of Reptakos Brett & Co. v. Reptakos Brett & Co.
Rule established
Minimum wage must include a sixth component (25% addition) for children's education, medical needs, and recreation beyond the four norms of the 15th Indian Labour Conference.
Facts
- Workers of Reptakos Brett & Co. demanded revision of minimum wage
- Argued the four norms fixed by the 15th Indian Labour Conference (1957) were inadequate:
- 15th ILC norms: food, clothing, housing, fuel/lighting for a standard working-class family (3 consumption units)
- Workers demanded inclusion of:
- Children's education
- Medical requirements
Issue
- Whether minimum wage fixation must include children's education, medical requirements, and recreation in addition to the 15th ILC's four basic norms.
Held
- The 15th ILC norms are the floor, not the ceiling
- Minimum wage must include a 25% addition (the "sixth component") over the four norms to cover:
- Children's education
- Medical needs
- Minimum recreation and contingencies
Ratio Decidendi
Minimum wage must include a 25% addition over the 15th ILC's four norms (food, clothing, housing, fuel/lighting) to account for children's education, medical requirements, and minimum recreation. The 15th ILC norms represent bare subsistence and are not exhaustive.
How to use it in an exam
- Authority for "25% addition" or "sixth component" in minimum wage computation
- Always cite when asked about composition/components of minimum wage
- The Hindu (2023): Karnataka government ordered to re-calculate minimum wages following Reptakos norms, showing the case remains binding
- Key line: "The Supreme Court in Reptakos Brett (1992) held that minimum wage must include a 25% addition over the 15th ILC norms for children's education, medical needs, and recreation."
Source
Source: (1992) 1 SCC 290
This is an educational summary, not the judgment itself. Cite the reported version in professional or academic work.