SC directs DIAL to abolish its contract labour system

The Supreme Court on Thursday directedDelhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) to abolish its system of contractuallabour and asked it to pay compensation of Rs 5 lakh to each of its 136 workerswho were not reinstated after expiry of their contracts. 

A bench of justices Dalveer Bhandari and AK Patnaik said the Centre's notification of July 26, 2004 pertaining toregularisation of contractual labour is binding on DIAL.

"DIAL must abolish all contractlabour. Notification is clearly binding on and obligatory for DIAL," thebench said adding that privatisation of airport does not mean the Centralgovernment has no control over it.

The bench, however, refused to reinstate 136trolley retrievers, saying their jobs have already been given to others andreinstatement would lead to an "absurd" situation.

The court passed the order on a petitionfiled by workers' union challenging their ouster.