Union Education and Skill Development Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday expressed grave concern over some contractors and Mine Developers and Operators (MDOs) not paying the right wages to the contract labourers engaged by them in the Nalco coalmines in Angul district.
In separate letters to Union Coal Minister Prahallad Joshi and Union Labour and Employment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, Pradhan stated that the High Power Committee (HPC) and CACLB recommendations are being violated by the contractors and the MDOs.
”This is a matter of grave concern as it goes against the spirit of labour welfare espoused by the Central Government”, Pradhan stated and sought the Ministers personal intervention in the matter.
Pradhan stated that deployment of contract labour in jobs like raising or selling of coal, coal loading and unloading, overburden and removal has been prohibited by Section 10 of Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act 1970.
However, Section 31 of the act provides for exemption in special cases subject to prescribed conditions and restrictions.
Nalco, which is engaged in coal mining in Angul, has applied for exemption under Section 31 of the aforesaid act to the Ministry of Labour and Employment through the Ministry of Mines. CACLB has already conducted various meetings with representatives of the Nalco as well as MDO engaged for Utkal D and E coal blocks and its report has been submitted to the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Despite these guidelines, some contractors or MDOs are denying payment of HPC recommended wages and benefits to their workers engaged in the Nalco coalmines, Pradhan stated.