Udit vani, Jamshedpur: In a major development at Tata Motors, the management is set to release the list of 225 Bi-Six (or BY6) (temporary) workers to be regularized on Thursday, March 26. This will be the tenth batch of such confirmations.
Following this, only around 200 temporary workers will remain in the Jamshedpur plant. Their regularization is expected to take place in June, marking the complete end of the temporary workforce system at Tata Motors’ Jamshedpur unit.
Notably, this system has been in place for nearly 50 years. Under this arrangement, workers often had to serve between 15 to 25 years as temporary employees, with some being made permanent only a few years before retirement.
Struggles of Temporary Workers
Due to their temporary status, these workers were deprived of several social security benefits under labour laws. During economic slowdowns, they were often the first to lose work, leading to financial hardships for their families.
High Court Intervention Led to Change
The shift towards regularization began after petitions were filed in the Jharkhand High Court by temporary workers from the Jamshedpur and Pune plants. After hearing the matter, the court directed the company to regularize all “by-six” workers in a phased manner.
Following this, Tata Motors, in consultation with the union and labour authorities, formulated a plan to regularize around 2,700 temporary workers. As per the agreement reached in January 2024, 225 workers are being made permanent every three months.
New ‘T Grade’ to Replace Old Structure
Earlier, these workers were being absorbed under the JO grade, which offered comparatively lower wages. However, under a recent wage agreement, both the JO and old E grades have been replaced with a unified ‘T Grade’.
With this change, newly regularized employees will receive improved benefits, and their monthly salaries are expected to range between ₹60,000 and ₹70,000 after joining the permanent workforce.
End of TMST Entry Route
With the regularization process nearing completion, Tata Motors has also discontinued the Tata Motors Skill Training (TMST) programme, which previously served as an entry route into the company, often leading to years of temporary employment.
Now, recruitment will be done through the Full-Time Apprenticeship (FTA) route. Children of existing employees will also enter the company through this system. After completing training—and potentially a diploma—they will be directly absorbed into the permanent workforce.
The union has stated that following the High Court’s directive, the continuation of the temporary system was no longer valid, prompting these structural changes.
