Bhayandar: In a major cause of worry for the MBMC, the office of the assistant labour commissioner, Thane has asked the civic chief to review his decision of denying gratuity to the contractual workforce by private contractors including the agency appointed for the lifting and transportation of garbage.
The directions followed in response to complaints filed by Shramjeevi Sanghatana’s Vivek Pandit. The MBMC had inked a five-year contract with Global Waste Management Company in 2012, to lift garbage from the twin-city and ferry it to the Uttan dump yard.
As per section 2 A of the Payment of Gratuity Act, workers are eligible for gratuity if they have worked continuously for five years or more. If the contractor does not pay gratuity then the principal employer is liable to pay, which it can recover by deducting payments from the bills raised by the contractor. “ They are straightaway denying the justified rights of the workers which we will not tolerate. ” warned Pandit.
“We have always been on the forefront in protecting the rights of our workforce and the effective implementation of the minimum wages act confirms the same. While clearing our stand on the issue, we are bound to accommodate the gratuity clause in the new tender.” said civic chief Balaji Khathagokar.