'CONTRACT LABOUR IN AN UNIVERSITY-SOME SOCIOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS'

Employer and employee relationships had been one of inequality and exploitation throughout in the history of mankind. Marx fought all through out his life to alleviate the sufferings of the labor class. As the society transformed into capitalist and post modern stages, the capitalist societies evolved various mechanisms to maximize their profits. During the process, the laborer has been drifting away from the process of production, product, and community from himself in alienation in the mindless pursuit of profit by the greedy capitalists. Marx considered classes as they existed in the process of production be it agriculture or Industrial. The most meaningful classification had come from Jurgen Habermas (1976) of the Frankfurt school, who had classified the stages of capitalism as 1.Liberal Capitalist societies of the Nineteenth century capitalism Marx knew; 2 the next stage was that of organized capitalism of the western societies after the Marxian era; 3.then came the State Socialist Societies as Post Capitalist class societies for their political elitist disposition of means of production. The disintegration of USSR and the process of economic Reforms that ensued in the last decade of the Twentieth century ramified itself into Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization spelling glorification of the capitalist society and its neo colonialist culture. The disintegration of USSR and the process of economic Reforms that ensued in the last decade of the Twentieth century ramified itself into Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization spelling glorification of the capitalist society and its neo colonialist culture. The nature of contract employment is such that the workers do not have the guarantee of their continuance of their employment and they always have the Damocles’ sword of termination looming large over their heads. The payment of their salaries, too is unique by receiving it from an agent who keeps on receiving a commission every month. They can never claim regularizing their services at any point of time. There is nothing like annual increment but only occasional pay hike and of late a new system of time scale has come to pave way for periodicity of wage revision at least on a consolidated mode. The contract labor is the order of the day and the capitalist have conveniently have devised this system to put the labor without any long term and permanent commitment to regularize their services. They are hired when they are needed and dispensed when not needed. The claim to permanency and continuance cannot be made at any point of time. This being the case and condition of employment what are consequences for the individual and his family? What are the consequences for the system in terms of the morale and motivation and the society at large in terms of culture of labor and employment and the quality of services offered by various agencies and organizations. A modest attempt is made by way of a small survey of contract employees was conducted to know their profile, attitude towards the organization