Part A (Q4): Highlight the salient features of the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979.

The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 was enacted to protect the rights of laborers recruited in one state for employment in another, as they are often highly vulnerable to exploitation by contractors.

Salient Features:

1. Registration and Licensing: Any principal employer who employs five or more inter-state migrant workmen must register their establishment. Furthermore, the contractors who recruit these workers must obtain a valid license from both the home state and the host state.
2. Equal Pay for Equal Work: The Act strictly mandates that wage rates, holidays, and hours of work for migrant workers must be exactly the same as those for local workers doing the same or similar kind of work. They cannot be paid less simply because they are migrants.
3. Displacement and Journey Allowance: The contractor is legally obligated to pay a displacement allowance (equal to 50% of monthly wages or Rs. 75, whichever is higher) at the time of recruitment, as well as a journey allowance to cover the travel costs from their home state to the place of work and back.
4. Basic Amenities: The contractor/employer is responsible for providing regular payment of wages, suitable residential accommodation, adequate medical facilities, and protective clothing to the migrant workers.