SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 24: Over 1.20 lakh workers working on contract and outsourcing in Dhanbad-based coal companies will get wages and other benefits as per the Labour Act. Deputy commissioner of Dhanbad, Sandip Singh has set up a joint committee under SDM Prem Kumar Tiwary to probe the payment of contractual and outsourcing workers of coal companies and ensure their wage and other facilities as per the act.
This is the first time after nationalization of coal mines in 1973, that the district administration has set up a committee for probe into the exploitation of coal sector labours in Dhanbad.
The DC said that regular complaints have been pouring in for a long time that contractual and outsourcing workers in mines of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), Dhanbad based mines of Eastern Coalfield Limited (ECL) and Chasnala mines of Steel Authority India Limited (SAIL) are neither paid minimum wage as per the Labour Act nor the payment is given to them timely.
“Contractual labours are neither being paid through bank nor given payslip. They are also deprived of provident fund and other facilities as per Act, that are matters of concern,” added the DC.
The Central Labour Department, State Labour Department and GST officers are the members of this joint committee. The committee will hold its first meeting next week ( October) over the mechanism of probing the problem of contractual/ outsourcing labourers engaged in mines of BCCL, ECL and SAIL Chasnala and ensuring their wage payment as per the Act.
Rashtriya Colliery Mazdoor Sangh (RCMS) has welcomed the step of the district administration and said that this is the first time any Deputy Commissioner has taken measures for ensuring justice for contractual workers of coal mines in the district after nationalization.
“ Over 1.20 lakh contractual/ outsourcing workers are working in district-based mines but neither Coal India Limited (CIL) nor its subsidiary companies have ensured payment and other facilities to them as per Act”, said AK Jha, general secretary RCMS.
