Workers voice grievances at jun sunwai

: Contract workers engaged in public sector undertakings and private companies as well as those working under different government schemes found a rare opportunity here on Friday to give voice to their grievances and demands at a forum providing direct access to Labour Minister Gopal Rai.

A “Jan Sunwai” (public hearing) programme for contract workers organised at M.P.C.U. Shah Auditorium in Civil Lines here was attended by trade union representatives and hundreds of contractual employees facing exploitation on the fronts such as regular wages, working conditions, job security and labour welfare.

The two-hour-long interaction was organised close on the heels of the Delhi Government’s decision to put a restriction on termination of services of any contractual employee till a thorough review of the issue was completed.

More than 600 workers with private companies, including power distribution company BSES, and the government wings such as Health, Education, Transport and Election Departments, Delhi Jal Board and Delhi Metro attended the event with the hope of finding a solution to the issues affecting their livelihood.

There were first-person narratives of denial of full wages, discontinuation of service, termination without notice, denial of payment of allowances despite statutory provisions and lack of protection from work-related hazards.

Mr. Rai said the Labour Department would launch a Labour Development Mission for the welfare of contract labourers on the International Workers’ Day on May 1.

He asked all employers, including contractors, to upload the details of employees on their websites to ensure that minimum wages were paid to all categories of workers.