The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 has been enacted to regulate the employment of contract labour in certain establishments and for matters connected therewith.
The Act provides for the constitution of Central and State Advisory Boards to advise the concerned Governments on matters arising out of the administration of the Act.
The Central Government has issued a number of notifications prohibiting employment of Contract Labour in different categories of works, jobs, and processes as in mines, railways, Food Corporation of India’s godowns, port trust, etc.
The Central Advisory Contract Labour Board has also constituted a number of committees to enquire into the question of prohibition of contract labour system in different establishments.
The concern for providing legislative protection to this category of workers, whose conditions have been found to be abysmal or very bad, resulted in the enactment of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970.
Objectives of the Act
The Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970 was brought to:
- Abolish the system of contract labour wherever possible and practicable.
- Improve service conditions of contract labour where the abolition of the contract labour was not possible.
- Regulate the working conditions of the contract labour so as to place it at par with labour employed directly.
- Ensure timely payment of wages and provision of essential amenities.