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These are the suggestion; the Government has not so far reacted to it or agreed to incorporate them. The original draft was later on changed, but even when the second draft was brought forward, not a single suggestion of the trade union was incorporated.

There are a number of legislations. There is a legislation in regard to contract workers – Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act of 1970. There was a Joint Committee; that Committee made certain recommendations. Then, the legislation was prepared and was enacted in Parliament in 1970. There are a number of good things in regard to contract workers in it. But may I know whether all those provisions are being followed or being observed by the contractors?

As regards payment of minimum wages, the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act provides that the contract workers should be paid the wages at par with the wages which is being paid to the regular workers. The wages should be at par with the regular worker or the permanent worker. But the payment would be on daily basis. May I know whether the contract workers engaged by the CPSUs or contract workers engaged by the Indian Railways are being paid wages at par with the regular workers? Gradually a number of works are now being handed over to the contractors. Except in a few cases, is there any place where the contract workers are being paid wages at par with the permanent workers?

Today in Indian Railways, maintenance of tracks is being done by the contract workers. Railway gang men are also engaged for the maintenance of tracks. May I know whether the contract workers engaged for the maintenance of tracks of Railways are being paid the wages at par with permanent workers?

There is a subsidiary of Coal India, that is, Mahanadhi Coal Fields. I visited the Vasundhara area of the Mahanadhi Coal Fields, where the number of contract workers is 22,000 and the number of permanent workers is only 17,000. In that area of Basundhara, what I have seen is that the contract workers are not being paid even the minimum wages.

I know, in Railways there is no provision of the Provident Fund for contract workers. There should not be any discrimination between the male and the female workers but still it is continuing. The Contract workers are not getting the minimum wages, not to speak of the wages at par with the permanent workers. There are about 40 lakh bidi workers. Previously 50 paise cess was collected for 1000 bidis. It is Rs.2 now. This cess is for the welfare of the bidi workers. Now, in the Government of India, particularly the Finance department, there is a Committee on Non-Plan Expenditure. They have decided that there will not be any hospital for the bidi workers. You know, Sir, the condition in which thesebidiworkers have to work. Their overall life is much less than the life of a worker of other category. This is because of the unhygienic conditions, smell of tobacco, in which they have to work. They have to work for twelve hours in these unhygienic conditions and therefore, their overall life is much less than the workers of other category.