Fruits of labour for Games workers

Delhi High Court orders organising committee to register all employees

Delhi High Court orders organising committee to register all employees

On your way to work everyday, you must come across at least one or two Commonwealth Games projects in progress. You must have wondered about the money involved, the impact on the realty market, the changing face of Delhi, the pros and cons of the venture etc. But you may have overlooked the numerous workers toiling away at the site with temperatures touching 40 degrees in the Capital. And an even lesser known fact is that most of these labourers are often devoid of adequate safety equipments and live in inhuman conditions.

It's our right The panel recommended authorities to give the workers
weekly offs and to provide them hygienic living conditions. file pic

But finally there is some relief. The Delhi High Court has directed the government and civic bodies to register all labourers working in CWG projects and provide them with safety tools.

Taking into consideration the findings of a four-member committee, appointed by the court, a bench headed by acting Chief Justice Madan B Lokur asked the government to provide details regarding workers employed at various sites and the contractors under which they were working. The report had pointed out violation of human rights of workers involved in construction work at various sites of the games.

It also stressed on the fact that workers at Games-related construction sites were not being paid minimum wages and were often made to work overtime for no extra pay.

The committee was formed on a PIL filed by Peoples' Union For Democratic Rights (PUDR) which alleged that the workers were being housed in 'crowded hovels' with no protection during winters, no electricity and filthy or no toilets.

An official from PUDR said, "We had sought the court's intervention to ensure the workers get insurance cover, wage slips, paid weekly offs, proper medical facilities and workmen compensation, among other things. Workers at games-related construction sites were not being paid minimum wages and made to work overtime for no extra money."

"The labourers were being exploited since they were hired by contractors who were unaware of labour laws. The report said many accidents at these sites were never reported while workers continued to work without safety gear and that muster rolls were not verified," the official said.

On April 7, the High Court had sought a response from the Delhi government on whether it could implement the panel's recommendations relating to fixing of wages and working conditions of labourers employed at sites across the Capital.

Work in progress

Earlier Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports M S Gill said that safety of the labourers working on the Commonwealth Games should be kept in mind. Gill said: "As I have always said that whatever we are making, the labourers have a big role and their safety is our responsibility. So I keep reminding the engineers time and again about the labourers' safety. If you see, in Nehru Stadium they (labourers) work at such heights and safety concerns must be taken into considerations. Secondly, they must, what I said because I read in the press that whatever is their rights they must get that and on time. There should not be any delay."

The panel recommended 'exemplary fine' to be levied on errant authorities and said steps needed to be taken to start time bound registration of workers and extend to them benefits like weekly offs and hygienic living conditions.

Estimating the daily wage contract workers to number roughly 4,15,000, the PIL alleged that the Games-related construction work had been granted to private contractors who provided inhuman working and living conditions for the labourers.