Shiv Charan Lal Sharma, the Labour and Employment Minister of the Indian state of Haryana has said that private firms should hire casual labour directly fro the labour market instead of relying on contractors.

The minister said that the payments to them should be made through cheques. "Company should not hire casual workers through contractors rather they should hire them directly by negotiating with them. They can also ask the state employment department to provide workers on contract basis," Sharma said.

The comments come amid a worker’s protest at Maruti Suzuki India’s (MSI) Manesar plant enters its 14th day. The talks brokered by the state government have remained inconclusive and the company is reportedly looking elsewhere in other states for its expansion plans. The scenario has seriously dented the state’s business image and may deter investments.

Sharma accused contractors of exploiting casual workers. He said that contract workers get exploited as their contractors do not give full payment of their work. "Contractors charge their commission from workers which lead to less payment to a casual worker," he said.

About the strike at Maruti plant, he said that he had asked the workers to resolve the issue with the management. He also informed that Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had asked the management of Maruti Suzuki to recolve the crisis soon.