Mr. M. Venkatesan, Honourable, Chairman, National Commission for Safai Karmacharis, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment hold a review meeting with Mr. P. Ananth Divisional Railway Manager on 26.06.2023 at Madurai and interacted with contractual laborers works under conservancy contractors in Madurai Division.
During the interaction, the workers raised various issues related to their wage, Provident Fund Subscription, ESI Scheme, Bonus etc. They demanded the regular supply of safety gears like hand gloves shoes etc.
Though Railways have made provision for it in the contract the workers said the regular supply of the items are not being made.
The commission directed Railways to familiarize the ways and means to register complaints under The Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) at Workplace Act and The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, The commission strictly warned the contractors who are act against the provisions in "The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013”
Branch officers Shri P. Sathesh Saravanan, Sr. Divisional Mechanical Engineer, Mr. V. Prasanna, Sr. Divisional Operations Manager, Mr. R. Narayanan Senior Divisional Engineer (Coordination), Mr. R. P. Rathi Priya, Sr. Divisional Commercial Manager, Mr. C. Ravi Kumaran Nair, Sr. Divisional Electrical Engineer Operations, Mr. T. Sankaran, Divisional Personal Officer, Mr. Mahesh Gadakari, Divisional Environmental and Housekeeping Manager and Mr. K. Kottur Samy, Deputy Collector, District Adi Dravida and Tribal Welfare Department were present during the meeting.
House keeping in Railways
The Departments of Environment and Housekeeping (EnHM), Operating, Mechanical, Commercial, Electrical-Operation and Medical are involved in having Housekeeping Contractual activities.
In Housekeeping contract works, 615 Housekeeping contract workers (271 Male and 344 Female) were engaged over Madurai Division during the current financial year. Railways as principal employer ensures that the contract workers are provided facilities by the contractors as per provisions of Labour Laws and ensure compliance with The Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970 and minimum wages notified by the as Central/State Governments under The Minimum Wages Act, 1948, and The EPF & MP Act, 1952 etc..
Compliance of the statutory provisions is ensured through conditions incorporated in the contracts awarded by Railways.
Railways is ensuring that the contractors are paying the wages to their workers not below the rate of Minimum wages as notified by the State Government or Central Government whichever is higher, through the bank transfer, the contractor will be required to submit every month documentary evidence in the form of Bank Statement of having transferred the minimum wages to each of the contract workers.
Payment to contractors is made only on producing documental proof for compliance of the provisions under the payment of Minimum Wages, ESI & EPF to the contract labours duly entering the details in IR Shramik kalyan Portal.
Apart from above, it is also being ensured that housekeeping staff employed directly or indirectly by the contractor between the ages 18-70 years are enrolled under Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and housekeeping staff between the ages 18-50 years to Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyothi Bima Yojana (PMJJBY).
After the meeting the Commission inspected Health Inspectors Office and TTE rest house at Platform Number one at Madurai Junction Railway Station.