Contract workers in Bengaluru unite against labour codes, seek job security
The event -- Convention against Labour Codes and Demand for the End of the Exploitative Contract Labour System -- was organised at Gandhi Bhavan by the Government and Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) Non-Permanent Workers Joint Forum. The convention demanded the abolition of the exploitative contract labour system and the repeal of the four new labour codes.
Clifton D' Rozario, vice-president of the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), condemned the large-scale exploitation of contract workers in government entities and PSUs. 'Lakhs of workers performing core duties are wrongly labelled as contract workers. They face job insecurity, low wages and no social security. The new labour codes institutionalise this exploitation,' he said. D'Rozario also called for legislation to grant permanency to all contract workers, citing similar laws in Assam and Tamil Nadu.
Chandrashekar, general secretary of the HAL Contract Workers' Association, highlighted wage stagnation. 'The last revision of the central minimum wages was in 2017. It's 2025 now, and costs have surged. This outdated wage structure amounts to forced labour.'
The demands from the forum also include upholding the freedom of association and the right to protest and strike.
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Contract workers in Bengaluru unite against labour codes, seek job security
BENGALURU: Over 300 non-permanent workers of institutions such as the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) gathered here on Sunday to condemn the 'exploitation of contract workers'. The event -- Convention against Labour Codes and Demand for the End of the Exploitative Contract Labour System -- was organised at Gandhi Bhavan by the Government and Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) Non-Permanent Workers Joint Forum. The convention demanded the abolition of the exploitative contract labour system and the repeal of the four new labour codes. Clifton D' Rozario, vice-president of the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), condemned the large-scale exploitation of contract workers in government entities and PSUs. 'Lakhs of workers performing core duties are wrongly labelled as contract workers. They face job insecurity, low wages and no social security. The new labour codes institutionalise this exploitation,' he said. D'Rozario also called for legislation to grant permanency to all contract workers, citing similar laws in Assam and Tamil Nadu. Chandrashekar, general secretary of the HAL Contract Workers' Association, highlighted wage stagnation. 'The last revision of the central minimum wages was in 2017. It's 2025 now, and costs have surged. This outdated wage structure amounts to forced labour.' The demands from the forum also include upholding the freedom of association and the right to protest and strike.
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The Government and Public Sector Undertakings Non-Permanent Workers Joint Forum has demanded the abolition of contract labour system and repeal of Labour Codes. In a convention organised by the forum here on Sunday, the All India Central Council of Trade Unions vice-president Clifton D' Rozario said that lakhs of workers, who were, in fact, permanent workers, were being falsely termed as contract workers and subjected to severe exploitation. 'Despite performing core and perennial tasks, they suffer from job insecurity, poor wages, and a lack of social security. The new Labour Codes only make matters worse by institutionalising the exploitation,' he said. He pointed out that in many union government offices and hospitals, while Group A and B positions remain permanent, almost all Group C and D roles were outsourced. 'Contract workers do the same work as permanent staff members do, but are paid less and denied benefits.' 'This contract system is not just unjust, but a sham. The only way to fight against this is to come together, organise, unionise, and demand our rights,' Mr. Rozario said. Maniyamma, secretary of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Pourakarmikara Sangha spoke about the successful struggle of pourakarmikas against contractualisation. 'Only through protesting, organising, and unionising were we able to remove the contract system,' the secretary said.
