Lokayukta orders blacklisting of labour outsourcing agencies

The Karnataka Lokayukta has directed the government to blacklist outsourcing agencies violating labour laws, and ordered Lokayukta police to investigate the government officials who have deliberately failed to implement the labour legislation with regard to the outsourced employees.

Hearing the suo motu case registered in 2018, Lokayukta Justice P Vishwanatha Shetty, after going through the report submitted by Labour department, said the matter of outsourced workers employed by government agencies requires detailed investigation.

The case pertains to outsourced employees not getting the payments fixed as per the Minimum Wages Act and the failure of agencies to comply with rules of Contract Labour (Regulation and abolition) Act, 1970. The issue of outsourcing agencies not depositing the ESI and PF amount had also come into focus.

In this regard, the Lokayukta directed the government to regulate the payment and other conditions of the services of the outsourced employees and prevent their exploitation.

He said the departments should keep a record of agencies providing labourers and the employer must inform the competent authority (assistant labour commissioner) to disqualify those found to be violating the labour law.

The employer must inform the Assistant Labour Commissioner and the management who in turn will take steps to disqualify such agencies, and take steps to ensure such agencies' licence is not renewed.

He directed the Lokayukta ADGP to instruct all Lokayukta SPs and DySPs to investigate and submit details of public servants, including officials of the labour department, for dereliction of duty in implementing the labour legislation.

The Lokayukta noted that there was a need to investigate the issues surrounding even those outsourced employees employed by private firms.