The Agnipath scheme has ignited a debate on the nature of jobs in the government.
How about the mode of inducting employees?
Nature of job- Temporary jobs have comprised the vast majority of available government employment that may be classified as
Permanent
Contractual
Daily wagers
Induction of employees- There are two main methods to induct an employee on contract in a government entity.
Directly on the payroll of the entity
Through a labour contractor or as part of any other contract entered into pursuant to a tender process
Outsourcing has become the dominant mode of working in the government, from highly specialised tasks to the most routine ones.
Non-standard or gig work consists of income-earning activities outside of standard, long-term employer-employee relationships.
What are the issues with the contractual system?
Issues
Non-payment of salaries for extended periods
Fudging of statutory deductions for the worker’s welfare such as provident fund, employees’ state insurance, etc. by labour contractor
Uneven distribution of work vis-à-vis permanent employees
The shifting of responsibility of government to the contractor
Case study
Maharashtra- Following the recent strike by Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation staffs, Aurangabad’s City Bus Service, operated as a joint venture with the former, had to be suspended due to non-availability of drivers and conductors.
Instead of outsourcing the service to a private agency, a decision was made to directly recruit the drivers and conductors from amongst ex-servicemen via fixed term contracts to be renewed periodically.
TULIP- The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs’ The Urban Learning Internship Program (TULIP), enables city authorities to directly engage a young workforce for a fixed term.
What is the need of the hour?
Even though a permanent government job remains highly coveted, it is important to also recognise that not everyone may aspire to ‘permanence’ due to various reasons.
Fixed term contracs will have to assimilate the principles of affirmative action, in line with the vision of social justice to avoid becoming a mechanism that will skip provisions for reservation.
