IIT director summoned by labour chief

MUMBAI: Non-teaching staff of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay, have sought the labour commissioner’s help to streamline their jobs and salaries.

The 400, several of whom are grade IV staff, have alleged that they have been working on the same salaries for more than 10 years. “The contractor has been paying me Rs2500 for the past 10 years and that to never on time,” said one of the employees. The employees have accused the contractors of having exploited them for years and the institute not doing anything.

“We finally decided to visit the labour commissioner and seek an answer,” said Srirang Barge, president of Maharashtra Organised and Unorganised Workers Union. He alleged that the contractor had not changed in 10 years. The labour commissioner’s office has summoned director Ashok Mishra on Monday to explain reasons behind the discrepancies.

IIT authorities, however, claimed that the employees were registered as ‘Principal Employer under Contract Labour Act’. “We cannot have them under the institute’s payroll,” said CP Joglekar, acting public relations officer, IIT. “Even our contractors are licensed and they change every two years.”