The Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday cleared a proposal that makes it compulsory for the contractors to engage 80 per cent of the labourers from the workforce hired by the previous contractor, if the previous contractor discontinues due to certain reason and new contractor takes his place for the rest of the work.
According to Delhi Government official the Government gives out service or manpower contracts for various services.
“The contractor hires its own manpower. However, when the contract period gets over and if the contractor gets changed, fresh manpower is brought by the new contractor and the earlier ones are removed,” adding further, “This causes huge untold miseries to these poor people. The Delhi Cabinet resolved that henceforth the new contractor shall keep a minimum of 80 per cent of earlier manpower,” said the official.
If the new contractor, however, plans to reduce the manpower due to mechanisation or any other reasons, then he shall accommodate at least 80 per cent of the new strength from existing manpower.
“In several cases it is found that a said contractor gets changed and the new contractor who gets the next cycle of contract, changes the manpower. The manpower, the contractual labours, loses their jobs due to the change of contractor. This makes them go jobless and they face huge adversities due to the sudden crisis,” said Government official.
The Delhi Government is of the view that such labours should not be rendered jobless because the contractor has changed and thus this decision has been taken.