KOCHI: The tea plantation crisis that has rendered thousands jobless in Kerala will be raised at the upcoming annual conference of the International Labour Organisation in Geneva, Hind Mazdoor Sabha president Thampan Thomas has said.

Mr. Thomas, who will be among eight trade union leaders in the Indian delegation at the conference to be held from May 30 to June 16, told The Hindu that he would raise the issue at various forums of the debate. Some of the main venues where the issue could be brought up were the ones on `employee-employer relations,' `decent employment' and `occupational safety and health.'

First time

Mr. Thomas said that thought the problems of plantation labour in India had been raised at the ILO meeting before, it would be the first time the tea plantation-specific labour issues would be discussed.

The ILO annual conference is an important forum for the working class across the world, as it sets standards of work and formulates international conventions for the member countries to follow.

It also reviews the implementation of these standards and conventions in these countries.

However, the majority of workers' groups that attend the meetings generally are from the non-political `free trade unions' like the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.

Indian delegation

This time, India is sending a large contingent that includes eight trade union leaders (representing eight recognised Central trade unions), eight representatives of employers, a dozen senior officials from the Union Labour Ministry and selected Labour Departments of the States and those concerned with labour issues. The Union Labour Minister is the head of the delegation.

Recognising the importance of India as an emerging major world player, the ILO has this time invited Prime Minister Manmohan to address the conference.

Dr. Singh is set to address the meeting on June 10. This will be the second time an Indian Prime Minister will be delivering the dignitaries' speech at the ILO meeting - the late Rajiv Gandhi was the first.

A meeting of the ILO convention committee, set up by the Union Government, will be meeting in Delhi next week to review the labour situation in the country, Mr. Thomas said.

Impact on India

Some of the issues to be discussed at the meeting that would have direct bearing on India are child labour, labour outsourcing, occupational safety, the problems of the unorganised sector, and social security for workers and child labour.

An international agreement on prohibition of worst forms of child labour is likely emerge from the meeting.

The ILO meeting's outcomes are likely to impact the Central Government's effort to remove rigidity in the Indian labour market and its bid to reform the existing labour laws.

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