Uttarakhand HC struck down Centre’s Sept 1994 notification banning appointment of contract workers in ONGC, ruling it was issued without following Section 10 of Contract Labour Act, 1970, reports Pankul Sharma. The order lifts decades-old ban on hiring contract workers in ONGC.
The case began in 2013, when a labour enforcement officer filed a complaint against ONGC for employing contract workers despite the ban. ONGC challenged the notification, arguing Centre failed to consult the central advisory contract labour board as required under Section 10(2).
Justice Pankaj Purohit held that inspection of only four units showed inadequate consideration, and lack of board consultation rendered the notification “illegal” & void. Legal watchers said the judgment sets a key precedent for ONGC and other public sector undertakings where disputes over hiring of contract workers have persisted for years.
