Contract workers: HC directs Govt to constitute a committee

MADURAI: Contract workers of the Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Ltd got a relief when the Madras High Court bench here directed the state government to constitute a special committee for considering their plea to absorb them as regular employees.

Justice S Vaidyanathan, disposing petitions filed by various associations of contract labourers, said the government could not delay the process further since two members of a committee, constituted about 15 years ago,had died and another had retired leaving the contract labourers in lurch.

The government should take a decision in terms of the provisions of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970.

The government was duty-bound to have a permanent committee to deal with disputes relating to abolition of contract labour system, and the time sought by the government advocate till December 2015 cannot be granted,the Judge said.

The judge said committee should submit a report to the government within a month on the petitioners plea to abolish contract labour system and then take a decision.