There were times when labourers were believed to be underpaid compared to the workload they handle; fastfroward to 2016 when a departmental labourer alone at FCI is earning more than even the Prime Minister of the country. This strange fact came into light when SC recently showed disapproval in the payment structure of 370 FCI labourers who were drawing this insane wages.
After 46 years, the Supreme Court has ordered the reintroduction of contractual labourers in FCI’s depots and godowns.This development comes after the fact was highlighted that a whoopinh Rs 1800 cr salary bill is being drawn by the FCI.
So, each departmental labourer at FCI was drawing a salary of 4.5 lakh per month compared to Rs 10,000 that any other labourer in the country gets on an average.This is shocking,considering the job role includes only loading and unloading of foodgrain sacks.
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It was assumed by the Court that those drwaing these heavy salaries have actually employed contractual labourers at much meagre pay to do the same job. And this practice might have been going on for quite some time now.
FCI deals in foodgrain distribution,regulating market prices, managing buffer stocks and formulating policies about the same.
The SC judgement is aimed at further erasing out departmental labourer system altogether. Further, new reforms like labourer transfers might also be introduced to bring transparency in the process.
Court has kept the channels open for the Labour Unions to appeal against the decision.
