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3.3.2 The Supreme Court held that the Tribunal was not justified in abolishing the slab system for D.A. which had operated in the Company for long 30 years and that there was no material on record to show that what was paid by the Company was higher than what would be required in view of the concept of need based minimum wage. It was held that the scheme cannot be allowed to be devised to the prejudice of the workmen on mere ground that the scheme resulted in over- neutralisation placing the workmen Union at higher wage level. 3.3.3 It was held that an employer is obliged to pay minimum wages to the employees and that the wage structure should approximately answer to six components, which was laid by the Supreme Court to be as under, "(i) In calculating the minimum wage, the standard working class family should be taken to consist of 3 consumption units for one earner; the earnings of women, children and adolescents should be disregarded.