NEW DELHI: The government may go slow on allowing employers across sectors to recruit workers on fixed-term contracts for all kinds of jobs as proposed in the budget for 2018-19, people aware of the matter said, attributing it to stiff opposition from trade unions which have termed it a means to hire and fire people at will. Finance minister Arun Jaitley had in his budget speech announced extension of fixed-term contract facility to employers in sectors beyond apparels, a measure which was expected to enhance ease of doing business Following objections from trade unions, though, the labour ministry, which had issued a draft notification in January, has now gone back to the drawing board to reframe the notification. “The labour ministry is not in a hurry to finalise the fixed-term contract notification and we have been made to understand that they are redrafting it,” said one of the persons, who did not wish to be identified. “It is no longer on the government’s high priority.”On January 8, the ministry had proposed the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders) Central (Amendment) Rules, 2018, which would allow fixed-term employment in all sectors; mandate that fixed-term contract workers get the same wages, allowances, hours of work and other benefits as permanent workers, as well as all statutory benefits proportionate to their period of service; and allow easy termination without notice or pay in lieu of notice within the terms of the contract.At present, the Contract Labour Act provides for engaging contract workers only for “ancillary activities” and not for “core business activity”. As per the proposed amendment, employers would be able to hire workers for fixed terms for all kinds of jobs without having to go through contractors.“Our major concern is that fixed-term contract should not become a substitute for regular employment. The notification, in its present form, will only ease the hire and fire policy which is not acceptable to us,” said Virjesh Upadhyay, general secretary, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, a trade union affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.Upadhyay said the government should ensure permanent jobs stay and there is a cap on the number of times fixed-term contracts can be renewed, after which workers should get regularised.For employers, fixed-term contracts are attractive because they provide flexibility in hiring for a limited time, freedom from complexities relating to termination of employment and exclusion from the requirements of the contract labour law. Hence, recruiters including state governments, which along with the Centre have emerged as major employers of contract workers, are in favour of the proposed changes to the rules.However, at a meeting called by the labour ministry with representatives of state governments, trade unions and industry last month, trade unions strongly objected to the proposal, forcing the ministry to reconsider it.The proposed labour reform was expected to make India’s business environment more competitive and help the government move towards its target of propelling the country to be among the top 50 nations in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Report.India had last year moved up 30 places to figure among the top 100 countries on the index for the first time.