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Flouting of labour laws alleged

By Correspondent

GOALPARA, Aug 4 - It is a matter of regret that the non-compliance of labour laws has become the order of the day, especially by business establishments, as workers who are mostly on contractual jobs are afraid to voice their dissent against their working conditions and wages simply due to the fear of losing their jobs.

It has come to notice that Eveready Industries (India) Ltd which has set up a unit for manufacturing LED flashlights and batteries in the Matia Industrial Estate, has been engaging outsourced labour, both skilled and unskilled in connection with the work related to the industrial unit and has engaged two private firms, namely Beeam Products & Services Pvt Ltd of Dehradun and Shiv Enterprises from Uttrakhand as its service providers through which workers are hired. It has come to light that these two firms having no registration numbers displayed in their official pad have been allegedly blatantly violating labour laws with impunity right under the nose of the district administration and the Labour and Employment Department, Assam.

It is still not known whether the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition ) Act, 1970 is implemented by the principal employer to provide better working conditions and stop exploitation of the workers and also while paying of remuneration.

Recently, under Matia Industrial Growth Centre Contractual Labour Union (MIGCCLU), Mornoi a meeting was held at the Mornoi Tarun Kala Sangha where the workers protested and raised a slew of demands. These included that both the labour contractual firms must pay the wages as determined by the government or under the existing labour laws, the workers must be provided canteen facilities, requisite number of toilets and urinals, provision for drinking water, requisite medical facilities and first aid etc.

The MIGCCLU members also demanded that all the records relating to the workers be maintained in various registers and employment cards be issued as per the rules and a notice board should also be made available for displaying all related notices.

On the other hand Noni Das, an active social worker while pointing out to the Labour and Employment Department said that it is a matter of concern as to how the nursing homes, hotels and other big commercial establishments in the district are making their contractual employees work because there are only a few permanent staff members and those also with low wages and without ESI and PF benefits.

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