Contractual Workers in Mining Sector

As per the details provided by Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) under the Ministry of Labour & Employment, the number of contract workers are not higher than the regular workers. The details are as provided:-

The Mines Act, 1952 does not differentiate between the permanent and contractual labourer. However, the retirement benefit does not come under the purview of the Mines Act, 1952.

The compensation is covered under the Employees’ Compensation Act, 1923 and is given by the respective mining companies or owners.

A project costing Rs. 4.68 Crore on “Multicentric study of dust related diseases in stone mines and development of sustainable preventive programme” has been undertaken jointly by Union Ministry of Labour and Employment and Ministry of Mines in collaboration with National Institutes of Miners’ Health, Nagpur (an autonomous institute under Ministry of Mines), to address the Silicosis related health issues of stone mines and quarries workers of unorganized sector situated in different parts of the country, which would include the dust profiling, disease profiling, profiling of the nature of mining operations prevalently contributing to occurrence of silicosis, etc. The findings of the project would help in identifying the genesis of the occurrence of silicosis and appropriate mitigation measures for future control and prevention.

National Institutes of Miners’ Health, Nagpur has carried out the occupational health and safety survey of mine workers upto October, 2017 in four (4) states namely Telangana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana in which 105 cases of Silicosis have been detected out of 1566 persons examined.

Also, an occupational health and safety survey of silicosis affected workers under Section 9A of the Mines Act, 1952 has been undertaken by Directorate General of Mines Safety wherein 7673 persons were medically examined, out of which 157 cases of silicosis were detected.

This information was given by Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar Union Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.