Section 45: Responsibility for payment of wages and compensation

(1) An employer shall be responsible for payment of wages to each building worker employed by him and such wages shall be paid on or before such date as may be prescribed.

(2) In case the contractor fails to make payment of compensation in respect of a building worker employed by him, where he is liable to make such payment when due, or makes short payment thereof, then, in the case of death or disablement of the building worker, the employer shall be liable to make payment of that compensation in full or the unpaid balance due in accordance with the provisions of the Workmen's Compensation Act, 1923 (8 of 1923), and recover the amount so paid from the contractor either by deduction from any amount payable to the contractor under any contract or as a debt payable by the contractor.