Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, along with State Deputy Chief Ministers Brajesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya, poses for a photo at the launch of Uttar Pradesh Corporation for Outsource Services (UPCOS), in Lucknow
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Taking a leaf out of Andhra Pradesh and Haryana, the Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday launched the Uttar Pradesh Corporation for Outsource Services (UPCOS) to streamline recruitment, guarantee fixed salaries and safeguard the statutory rights of outsourced or contractual workers.The UPCOS would digitally integrate the management of the State’s more than 3.5 lakh outsourced workers and provide an institutional mechanism for protecting their rights.The AP was the first state to launch Andhra Pradesh Corporation for Outsourced Services (APCOS) in November 2019 followed by Haryana which established the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN) in 2021.Speaking at the launch ceremony in Lucknow, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that before 2017 outsourced workers were treated as a “burden” and exploited by firms allegedly linked to political parties and their relatives. But, his government wanted to treat outsourced personnel as an “asset” and provide them with timely remuneration, social security and institutional protection.“If I include their family members, this corporation is connected with the interests of around 17 to 20 lakh people,” he said, adding that the UPCOS would help them get their social security benefits without any intervention of middlemen.The CM stated that his government was of the view that removing social discrimination has to go alongside attempts to address economic discrimination.‘respect for labour’“When a person is working, he should receive respect commensurate with his work. This is respect for labour — receiving proper remuneration for one’s hard work and a guarantee of social security,” Adityanath said.He said since more than 3.5 lakh outsourced workers previously had no guarantee of remuneration, health facilities, or protection in the event of accidents, the government decided to intervene through an institutionalised mechanism.“After this system comes into force, rights will no longer be granted at someone’s discretion but will be earned through your hard work. The system will no longer depend on middlemen and information will not remain unclear,” he said.The dedicated portal would offer relevant information to workers and in the process empower them with necessary details concerning their employment and entitlements.“When a person receives his rights on time, the benefit is not limited to that individual. A child’s education in his home becomes secure, a mother’s medicines become secure, a daughter’s future becomes secure, and a family gets the confidence that our hard work will never go to waste,” the CM said.Earlier system was divided among the employee, outsourcing agency and government department, forcing workers to approach different offices with their grievances, he noted.Published on September 2, 2026
