The Delhi government will end the practice of outsourcing hiring of contract workers and start recruiting these workers directly, Labour Minister Gopal Rai said on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference, Mr. Rai said that at a meeting of the Delhi Contract Labour Advisory Board chaired by him on Wednesday it was decided to recommend direct hiring of contract workers by government departments.
“There will be two benefits to the workers. We have been informed that contractors were cutting ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 from the salaries of workers and not giving the entire PF [provident fund] amount due. We will be able to ensure these, plus it will lead to savings for the departments as they will not have to pay the contractors,” said Mr. Rai.
He added that the Labour Department had been asked to prepare a Cabinet note based on the recommendations of the Board for the consideration of the Cabinet soon.
Apart from that, the Board also recommended the appointment of a labour welfare officer by each Department in order to supervise the compliance with various labour laws. He said representatives of a government hospital had told the Board on Wednesday that a doctor had been deputed to monitor the attendance of contract workers instead of focusing on medical work. With a dedicated labour welfare officer, the other staff of the departments would be free to return to their primary duties.
