direct labour
noun [ U ]
UK ukus ACCOUNTING (US direct labor)
the workers who are directly involved in producing goods or supplying services, or the cost of paying those workers:
Direct labor costs are rising in the manufacturing sector.
Direct labour appears in the accounts as part of the cost of goods sold.
HR
people who work in a company or organization and are employed directly by it, rather than being employed by an agency or another company:
The work was carried out by a mixture of direct labour and contract workers.