Acknowledging that labourers are deprived of benefits under various schemes of the Centre and the states, a top Central government official has said steps should be taken up for the workers' welfare and lauded efforts of the Haryana government in this regard.
A large chunk of workers in north India, who are migratory in nature, were engaged in the construction sector, Union Labour Secretary Pillai said on Thursday and added that though these workers were covered under five basic laws, but in many cases, they were deprived of the benefits given under the laws.
Lauding efforts of the Haryana government in implementing schemes for the labourers' welfare, health and safety, Pillai said other states should follow Haryana in the implementation as per the directive issued by the Supreme Court.
The apex court had given directions to all states to constitute advisory committees, welfare boards and notify rules for the welfare of labourers.
Most northern states, save for one or two, had, however, implemented the court directive, Pillai said addressing a special group meeting of labour secretaries on the theme -- Implementation of building and other construction workers' Act, 166 and Bonded Labour (Abolition Act 1976).
Labour secretaries of Haryana, J&K, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Chandigarh attended the meeting.
The financial commissioner of Haryana labour department, Naresh Gulati, and Labour Commissioner N C Wadhwa, apprised the participants about the policies and programmes adopted in the state for welfare of labourers.
Haryana has implemented the labour laws since 2006 and the state government has also decided to provide health insurance to the labourers on the pattern of Rastriya Swasthaya Bima Yojna under which BPL families up to five members will be given indoor treatment facility of Rs 30,000 per annum with a free insurance of Rs 75,000.
The members of the banks will also have a say in deciding the wages and working terms and conditions.
However, for the time being, the workers will be paid the wage-level fixed by National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, sources said.
After studying the experience of the pilot project, necessary modifications will be made in the scheme before extending it to all the panchayats in the state.
Labour shortage has assumed a serious dimension in Kerala with the state depending heavily on migrant labourers supplied by contractors from other states.
According to official estimates, over a million migrant labourers are engaged in construction sites across the state, a good chunk of them from states like Orissa, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam and areas bordering with Nepal.
Even in agriculture and traditional industries, the migrant labourers are being engaged increasingly.