BENGALURU: Over 300 non-permanent workers of institutions such as the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) gathered here on Sunday to condemn the “exploitation of contract workers”.
The event -- Convention against Labour Codes and Demand for the End of the Exploitative Contract Labour System -- was organised at Gandhi Bhavan by the Government and Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) Non-Permanent Workers Joint Forum. The convention demanded the abolition of the exploitative contract labour system and the repeal of the four new labour codes.
Clifton D’ Rozario, vice-president of the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), condemned the large-scale exploitation of contract workers in government entities and PSUs. “Lakhs of workers performing core duties are wrongly labelled as contract workers. They face job insecurity, low wages and no social security. The new labour codes institutionalise this exploitation,” he said. D’Rozario also called for legislation to grant permanency to all contract workers, citing similar laws in Assam and Tamil Nadu.
Chandrashekar, general secretary of the HAL Contract Workers’ Association, highlighted wage stagnation. “The last revision of the central minimum wages was in 2017. It’s 2025 now, and costs have surged. This outdated wage structure amounts to forced labour.”
The demands from the forum also include upholding the freedom of association and the right to protest and strike.