Unions allege Metro Rail violating labour laws

Hyderabad: Labour Unions are up in arms with the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) Project for subjecting thousands of workers to Hobson’s choice. The Telangana State government and the L&T Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) have turned a blind eye towards the violation of labour laws, according to the Andhra Pradesh State Multiple Contractor’s Labour Union.

The Union general secretary V Bikshapati alleged that no one was listening to their pleas forcing them to knock at the doors of court to secure the rights of the workers.

The Unions argued that an agreement was signed by the Principal Secretary to Government, Municipal Administration and urban Development, giving the project to L&T HMRL on Private Public Partnership basis. This way, the State government would become the principal employer and the L&T, a contractor. And, enforcement of labour laws should be the duty of the principal employer. The L&T HMRL had sub-contracted the project to L&T ECC Division. This way, the contracting firm turned into a principal employer and the sub-contractor, a contractor. This, the unions say, was a violation of the law. Speaking to The Hans India, the HMR MD NVVS Reddy, however, said the agreement between the government and L&T HMRL was not a contract. The L&T continues to be the principal employer. The HMRL officials denied the allegations leveled by the labour unions and said the company and its contractors have been adhering to all the norms under labour laws.

But the unions alleged that the L&T has been adopting double standards to hoodwink the State and central labour departments. The unions argued that when the Central Labour Department authorities had tried to inspect the company under central laws, the L&T had refused to cooperate claiming that the HMRL falls under the purview of the State government. But, when the State labour department issued notice, L&T took shelter under the section 184 of the Indian Railways Act 1989, and section 43 of the Metro Railways (Construction workers) Act 1978. They alleged that it was not paying the minimum wages being fixed by the Central government to the workers.

This way the company had been fooling both the Central and State labour departments, they said. The Unions also alleged that the concessionaire had violated Inter-State Migrant Workers Act till 2013 though hundreds of workers from neighboring States were engaged in the HMRL project works.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) Telangana State Secretary Tammineni Veerabhadram told The Hans India, that his party would demand the TRS government to come out clean on the apprehension raised about the HMRL project. He said the CPI(M) would mount pressure on the State government to put the HMRL project agreement and other documents in public domain and take up the issues of proper implementation of labour laws and workers welfare.