Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970

Condition of Contract Labour

The Union Labour & Employment Minister Shri Mallikarjun Kharge has informed the Lok Sabha that
Companies have not given free hand and have to abide by the provisions of the various labour laws. As far as contract labour are concerned, the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970 regulates the working conditions of the contract labour so as to ensure payment of wages and provisions of essential amenities. The Act has alsogot provision for abolition of contract labour in respect of such categories as may be notified by the appropriate Government in the light of certain criteria given in Section 10(1) of Act. The Central Government is the appropriate Government in the establishments falling under central sphere and prohibits employment of contract labour in certain employments, wherever it is felt that process/operations are incidental to or necessary for the industry and if such works are perennial in nature, which can ordinarily be done by regular workmen. So far, the Central Government has issued 82 notifications prohibiting employment of contract labour in the establishments concerned. The Casual Labour are governed by the guidelines/instructions issued by Department of Personnel & Training from time to time.

For the central sphere, the field offices of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) organization enforce the provisions of various labour laws applicable to contractors and establishments and take appropriate action against the erring employer in case of violation of the provision of labour laws by way of filing prosecution in the court. The detail of the inspection conducted by the Officers of Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) organization and prosecutions launched against the erring employers found violating the provisions of Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970 are as under:

Some of the other labour laws which are enforced to safeguard the interest of contract labourer are as follows:
Ø Minimum Wages Act, 1948
Ø Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972
Ø Payment of Bonus Act, 1965
Ø Equal Remuneration Act, 1976
Ø Building & Other Construction Workers’ (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996.

The Minister was replying to a written question whether it is a fact that the present labour reforms have given companies free hand to hire and fire and this has hit the most vulnerable section, the contract and casual workers, the hardest; the details thereof; and the steps taken by the Government for the protection of the contract and casual workers