Labour Court Rulings on Basic Rate of Pay and Overtime under Employment Act

Mr Pritam Singh asked the Acting Minister for Manpower in how many instances over the past 10 years has the Labour Court ruled that the basic rate of pay as provided under the Employment Act covers overtime hours.

Under the Employment Act, the basic rate of pay does not include overtime payments. Any work performed by an employee, at the request of the employer, beyond the hours stipulated in the Employment Act is considered overtime work and is payable at 1.5 times the basic hourly rate of pay. Hence, the Commissioner for Labour has consistently ruled that overtime work is payable at this rate as provided in the law.