CONTRACT LABOUR: A NECESSARY EVIL
Contract Labour: A
necessary evil*
The excellent cover
story on “Contract Labour: An era of live-in relationship” (Business Manager, May 2016)
should be an eye opener for all the beneficiaries and victims of the age-old
practice of legalised ‘bonded labour’ in India. In the Indian context, the
debate has more relevance, as several social security systems available in
other countries are conspicuous by their absence in this country. Allow me to
quote a paragraph from Sir Thomas Munro’s December 31, 1824 observations
appearing in East India Papers (Vol iii, London,1826, quoted in Economic
History of India, Romesh Dutt, C.I.E):
“Even if we
could suppose that it were practicable without the aid of a single native to
conduct the whole affairs of the country both in the higher and in all the
subordinate offices, by means of Europeans, it ought not to be done, because it
would be both politically and morally wrong. The great number of public offices
in which the natives are employed is one of the strongest causes of their
attachment to our Government. In proportion as we exclude them from these, we
lose our hold on them, and were the exclusion entire, we should have their
hatred in place of their attachment, their feelings would be communicated to
the whole population, and to the native troops, and would excite a spirit of
discontent too powerful for us to subdue or resist. But were it possible that
they could submit silently and without opposition, the case would be worse,
they would sink in character, they would lose the hope of public office and
distinction all laudable ambition, and would degenerate into an indolent and
abject race, incapable of any higher pursuit than the mere gratification of
their appetites. It would certainly be more desirable that we should be
expelled from the country altogether, than that the result of our system of
government should be such a debasement of a whole people.”
I found the above
thoughts relevant in the context of the treatment meted out to ‘contract
labour’ or the workforce on which the present day ‘service providers’ (a brilliant
transformation from the ‘contractor’ of 20th Century!) depend
for execution of both skilled and unskilled work for their ‘clients’ (again,
not masters, they are now clients!). Just substitute PSUs or corporates for
public offices and ‘outsourced’ or ‘contract’ employees for natives in the
above narrative and you are close to the present day reality.
Until the country
is in a position to put in place a realistic and universally acceptable prices,
wages and income policy and a reasonably fool-proof social security system for
all categories of citizens, we need to encourage regular employment of
workforce by all establishments which can afford that dispensation. Those who
work on contract today are exploited by all greedy employers, from
multi-national companies to village offices.
M G Warrier
*A slightly edited version appears on page 3 of Business Manager, August
2016
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