The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : INTUC against recruiting youth as contract employees

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 26, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

INTUC against recruiting youth as contract employees

Staff Reporter

"Permanent workers are eased out under voluntary retirement or compulsory retirement schemes and replaced by apprentices."

CHENNAI: Many textile mills, plantations and large industrial units in Tamil Nadu are retiring permanent employees, recruiting youth as apprentices and denying them the benefits of social security schemes, according to the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC).

In a representation to the Central Provident Fund Commissioner, the INTUC State unit said: "Permanent workers are eased out under voluntary retirement or compulsory retirement schemes and replaced by apprentices." Unemployed young men and women "are imported from the poverty-stricken southern districts of Tirunelveli, Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar and employed ... as camp coolies."

Such youth were being engaged under individual written contracts as apprentice for three years. At the end of the period, they were given a lump sum and sent out, said P.L. Subbaiah, general secretary, INTUC.

"Though the so-called apprentices give full production, they are yet paid stipend and denied social security benefits such as coverage under the Employees' Provident Fund Scheme and Employees' State Insurance Scheme," he said. In some mills, the period of apprenticeship is extended up to 10 years.

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