Executive Summary:
This document contains a response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2489 regarding the policy to safeguard the rights of contractual workers, to be answered on 04.08.2025. It provides details on pending court cases, the mechanisms in place for grievance redressal, and existing and planned initiatives to protect contractual workers' rights. The information includes state and sector-wise data on pending cases and their nature.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Pending Court Cases (Annexure I & II):**
* Details of the number of cases currently pending and sub judice in courts across the country concerning contractual workers, State and sector-wise are provided.
* Information regarding the nature of these cases, including issues related to wages, job security, social security benefits, non-payment of dues, unfair termination, and regularization of services is included.
* **Grievance Redressal Mechanism:**
* A Central Industrial Relations Machinery (CIRM) is in place to enforce labour laws in the Central Sphere.
* The CIRM comprises a network of Deputy Chief Labour Commissioners and Regional Labour Commissioners under the control of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central).
* Regular inspections are conducted by CIRM officers for effective implementation of labour laws.
* **Government Initiatives and Policies:**
* The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970, regulates the employment of contract labour and provides for its abolition in certain circumstances.
* The Government implements various Acts and Schemes to provide social security and welfare benefits to workers, including contract workers, in both organised and unorganised sectors.
* Social security in the organised sector is provided through Acts such as the Employees State Insurance Act, 1948; the Employees Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952; the Employees Compensation Act, 1923; the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961; and the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972.
* The Unorganised Workers Social Security Act, 2008, provides welfare schemes for unorganised workers, including life and disability cover, health and maternity benefits, and old age protection.
* Various Ministries/Departments implement social security schemes, such as the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan Pension Scheme (PMSYM), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY).
* The Code on Social Security, 2020, aims to extend social security to all employees and workers in organised and unorganised sectors.
Impact Analysis:
* **Contractual Workers:**
* Impact: Safeguarding of rights, access to social security and welfare benefits, and grievance redressal mechanisms.
* Action Required: Be aware of their rights under the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970, and other relevant schemes and Acts, and utilise the grievance redressal mechanisms available.
* **Employers/Establishments:**
* Impact: Regulation of employment of contract labour and compliance with labour laws and social security provisions.
* Action Required: Ensure compliance with the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970, and other applicable labour laws, and provide social security benefits as per the eligibility criteria.
* **Central Government (Ministry of Labour and Employment):**
* Impact: Implementation and enforcement of labour laws and social security schemes.
* Action Required: Continue to enforce labour laws through the CIRM, implement social security schemes effectively, and create awareness about the rights and benefits available to contractual workers.
Key Entities Referenced
Contract Labour Regulation and Abolition Act, 1970: A Central Government act to regulate the employment of contract labour in certain establishments and to provide for its abolition in certain circumstances.
Employees State Insurance Act, 1948: A Central Act to provide social security to workers in the organized sector.
Employees Provident Funds Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952: A Central Act to provide social security to workers in the organized sector.
Employees Compensation Act, 1923: A Central Act to provide social security to workers in the organized sector.
Maternity Benefit Act, 1961: A Central Act to provide social security to workers in the organized sector.
Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972: A Central Act to provide social security to workers in the organized sector.
Unorganised Workers Social Security Act, 2008: A Central Government act to provide social security benefits to the workers in the unorganised sector.
Code on Social Security, 2020: A code formulated by the Government to extend social security to all employees and workers in organised and unorganised sectors.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2489
TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2025
POLICY TO SAFEGUARD THE RIGHTS OF CONTRACTUAL WORKERS
2489. SHRI PUTTA MAHESH KUMAR:
Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to
state:
(a)the details of the number of cases currently pending and sub-judice
in the courts across the country concerning with contractual
workers, State and sector-wise;
(b)the details regarding the nature of these cases including issues
related to wages, job security, social security benefits, non-
payment of dues, unfair termination and regularization of services;
(c)whether the Government has established any special tribunals,
fast-track mechanisms or dispute resolution committees for
faster resolution of such cases, if so, the details thereof and if not,
the reasons therefor; and
(d)whether the Government plans to introduce any policies/initiatives
to safeguard the rights of contractual workers and ensure timely
grievance redressal and if so, the details thereof?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
(SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)
(a) & (b): The requisite information is enclosed at Annexure-I &
Annexure-II.
(c): A well-established Central Industrial Relations Machinery
(CIRM), comprising of a country wide network of Deputy Chief Labour
Commissioners and Regional Labour Commissioners under the
control of Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), is in place to enforce
various labour laws in Central Sphere. This Machinery is mandated to
take necessary action to redress/ settle the grievances/ complaints/
claims arising out of the enforcement of various labour laws. For
effective implementation of various labour laws, regular inspections
are conducted by the Officers of CIRM.
Contd..2/-:: 2 ::
(d): The Central Government has enacted the Contract Labour
(Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 to regulate the employment of
contract labour in certain establishments and to provide for its
abolition in certain circumstances. The Government is implementing
various Acts and Schemes to provide social security and welfare
benefits to workers including contract workers/labourers/employees,
both in the organised and unorganised sector. The social security to
the workers in the organized sector is provided mainly through five
Central Acts, namely, the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948, the
Employees’ Provident Funds & Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952,
the Employee’s Compensation Act, 1923, the Maternity Benefit Act,
1961 and the Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 etc. as per their
eligibility.
In order to provide social security benefits to the workers
in the unorganised sector, the Central Government is implementing
Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008, to provide welfare
schemes in matters relating to life and disability cover, health and
maternity benefits and old age protection to the unorganised
workers. Various Ministries/Departments of the Central Government
are also implementing such social security schemes like, Pradhan
Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan Pension Scheme (PM-SYM) to provide
old age social security in the form of monthly pension (Ministry of
Labour and Employment), health and maternity schemes (Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare). The Central Government is also
implementing Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)
and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) to provide life
and disability coverage to the unorganised workers depending upon
their eligibility. The Government has also formulated the Code on
Social Security, 2020 to extend social security to all employees and
workers in organised and unorganised sectors.
** *****Annexure-I
Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2489 for 04.08.2025.
Details of Court Cases Related to Contract Workers in Various Sectors
Sl.No NAME OF THE STATE OIL & GAS BANKING & COAL NON- PORTS TELECOM RAILWAYS AIR AGRICULT POWER OTHERS
REGIONS INSURANC E MINES COAL TRANSPORT URE
MINES
1 Ahmedabad Gujarat 24 10 0 0 0 130 0 1 0 0 86
2 Ajmer Rajasthan 26 30 0 26 0 1 9 0 2 1 54
3 Asansol West Bengal NIL NIL 205 NIL NIL 7 18 NIL NIL 99 175
4 Bangalore Karnataka NIL 70 NIL 2 NIL 2 4 NIL NIL NIL 75
5 Bhubaneswar Odisha 21 54 59 64 28 15 42 - - - 62
6 Chandigarh Chandigarh - 128 Punjab -
132 Haryana- 176
96 98 0 0 0 89 80 9 2 78 214
Himachal Pradesh- 98
Jammu & Leh Ladakh- 82
7 Chennai Tamil Nadu and Puducherry 3 18 0 4 0 2 2 2 4 7 23
8 Cochin Kerala 13 5 0 4 10 47 3 7 0 0 19
9 Dehradun Uttarakhand & Western UP
5 8 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 23
10 Dhanbad 0 0 9 - - - - - - - 4
11 Guwahati Assam-63 Meghalaya -7
Manipur-1, Arunachal
Pradesh-0, Tripura - 0, 18 3 0 0 0 0 1 1 48
Mizoram-0, Nagaland-0
12 Hyderabad Telangana -16; Andhra
0 0 0 9 0 0 6 0 0 0 1
Pradesh NIL
13 Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh 45 21 185 117 0 37 85 10 0 27 248
14 Kanpur Uttar Pradesh 27 45 10 0 0 18 57 15 0 27 75
15 Kolkata West Bengal 0 9 17 10 0 0 0 0 0 16
16 Mumbai Maharashtra & Goa 43 64 0 0 22 15 86 22 0 0 177
17 Nagpur Maharashtra 0 40 5 3 0 0 0 0 12 0 22
18 New Delhi Delhi 5 32 2 3 2 5 10 14 1 3 255
19 Patna Bihar 80 36 2 2 0 12 39 7 8 331 297
20 Raipur Chhattisgarh 5 4 49 166 NIL NIL 86 14 NIL 37 213Annexure-II
Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2489 for 04.08.2025.
Number of Cases pending in Supreme Court, High Courts and Subordinate Courts
Sl. No Name of Region State Wages related Job Security Related Social Related Non payments of Related Unfair termination Related Regularization of
related Security Benefits dues Services
1 Ahmedabad Gujarat 32 0 151 0 68 0
2 Ajmer Rajasthan 32 2 13 24 78 0
3 Asansol West Bengal 278 45 39 48 14 80
4 Bangalore Karnataka 18 12 14 88 21 0
5 Bhubaneswar Odisha 19 - 109 42 158 17
6 Chandigarh Chandigarh - 128 Punjab - 426 74 65 88 11 2
132 Haryana- 176
Himachal Pradesh- 98
Jammu & Leh Ladakh- 82
7 Chennai Tamil Nadu and 14 12 5 20 10 4
Puducherry
8 Cochin Kerala 14 10 13 25 41 5
9 Dehradun Uttarakhand & Western 13 0 0 0 0 0
UP
10 Dhanbad 6 0 0 3 - 4
11 Guwahati Assam-63 Meghalaya -7 57 0 4 5 1 4
Manipur-1, Arunachal
Pradesh-0, Tripura - 0,
Mizoram-0, Nagaland-0
12 Hyderabad Telangana -16; Andhra 16 0 0 0 0 0
Pradesh NIL
13 Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh 178 79 395 123 0 0
14 Kanpur Uttar Pradesh 15 3 39 13 26 14
15 Kolkata West Bengal 12 10 15 0 3 12
16 Mumbai 428 464 5 0 197 0
17 Nagpur Maharashtra 6 25 15 36 0 0
18 New Delhi Delhi 97 60 67 77 15 16
19 Patna Bihar 0 0 17 0 0 15
20 Raipur Chhattisgarh 12 NIL 6 NIL 3 NIL
*****