Employees federation demands abolition of contract labour in govt. departments

Holding the contract labour system adopted by government agencies responsible for instability in the economic system, the All India State Government Employees Federation (AISGEF) demanded that the government end the practice of outsourcing employees and appoint fresh workforce wherever required.

In a media conference at Hosapete in Vijayanagara district on Sunday, AISGEF general secretary Srikumar said that the contract labour system is a system devised to encourage privatisation and minimise State responsibility.

“Providing job security is the government’s responsibility and the successive governments are practising labour outsourcing to escape from their responsibility. A secure job not only brings in economic stability to a family but also contributes to stability in society. We demand that the government end the practice of contract labour system and appoint workforce on a permanent basis,” Mr. Srikumar said.

Pointing to the large number of vacancies in government offices for a long time now, the labour leader said that outsourcing government work through the contract labour system and replacing the Old Pension Scheme with the new one are all part of intensifying the privatisation process to help corporate forces.

“The contract labour system will destroy the economy in the long term. The Union and State governments increasingly resorting to a contract labour system is dangerous. We must not forget that India saw fewer deaths, as compared to other countries, during COVID-19 because there were enough permanent staff in the Health Department,” he said.

“The country’s education system is on the verge of collapse as the government is heavily dependent on contract employees to meet children’s educational needs. If the contract labour system continues, the entire system will collapse one day. Developed countries adopted contract system and they also provided adequate importance to social security. It cannot be blindly followed in developing India,” he said.

AISGEF’s State unit president H.S. Jaikumar said that over 2.5 lakh posts, including 35,000 teachers posts, are vacant in Karnataka and the government has preferred getting regular work done by contract workers through manpower-supplying agencies.

Labour leaders Mahadevayya Mathapathi, N. Shobha Lokanaganna, B.G. Avati, Ranganath Hawaldar, Nagaraj Pattar and others were present.

Published - November 25, 2024 07:08 pm IST