People's Democracy

HUNDREDS of workers from various industrial sectors in Delhi demonstrated before the Supreme Court on October 31, demanding review of its recent judgment overruling an earlier judgment in the Air India case. The earlier judgment of the Supreme Court in the case had upheld the right of contract workers deployed in work of a permanent nature in any establishment, to become regularised, and set a proper direction for implementation of the Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act 1970 in its true spirit. The latest judgment of the Supreme Court, has virtually taken away this same right of contract workers.

Organized jointly by various central trade unions – AITUC, AICCTU, CITU, UTUC, UTUC-LS, TUCC and different federations, the demonstration submitted a memorandum to the Chief Justice of India urging a review by a Special Bench, of this latest judgment. The memorandum also stated that, "the Apex Court's judgment overruling its earlier judgment in the Air India case was tantamount to legitimisation of the violations by various employers, of the Contract Labour (Regulation& Abolition) Act, besides encouraging the exploitative device of the contract system in the entire workplace in general."

The demonstration was addressed by KL Mahendra, General Secretary, AITUC, Tapan Sen, Secretary CITU, Premchand (UTUC-LS), SN Sharma(AITUC) Mohanlal (CITU), Ramanand (AIBEA) and S R Saini (AIIEA). The meeting was conducted by SB Bharadwaj, President, Delhi State CITU.