THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Labour Minister Babu Divakaran can heave a sigh of relief. Onam this year was totally trouble free in the labour sector, with hardly any bonus disputes.

All disputes were sorted out before Onam and the benefits paid out.

More than 40,000 workers facing distress owing to closure of their establishment be it in the public or private sector were given concessions ranging from Rs. 200 to Rs. 1,000 before Onam.

The total commitment on this came to Rs. 1.70 crores. Another Rs. 1 crore towards payment of handloom workers pension and cashew workers under a welfare scheme would be paid by Monday.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Mr. Divakaran said that this was the fifth consecutive year that the State was witnessing a trouble free Onam. Given the fact the State was heading for the local bodies elections, the Minister expected some difficulty during the Onam season.

"Thanks to the trade unions, leaders, management and labour officials, we could sort out all issues," he said.

He said that more than 10,000 workers in the private and public sector had been given Rs. 1,000 each.

Of the 10,000 workers, 8,768 persons, including managerial staff, belonged to the private sector.

In the coir sector, 10,747 persons were given Rs. 200 each, and 7,000 workers in the cashew sector were given a similar amount. Workers in the plantation sector spread over 26 estates numbering 8,000 were given Rs. 500 each.

Mr. Divakaran said that these amounts were given despite the Government's financial strain. The Government had also released four months pension arrears to coir workers.

Mr. Divakaran said that he himself had participated in 50 negotiations with unions and managements.

The Labour Commissioner Sreenivasan, who too was present at the press conference, had convened more than 200 conciliatory meetings, not to mention hundreds of other meetings convened by the labour officers.

According to him, the unions, leaders, management had adopted a new approach this year. "This is a positive sign and would go a long way to remove the blot that Kerala is a State with labour problems," he said.

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