Kerala - Kochi   

Unregulated work force adds to Labour Department’s woes

KOCHI: A boom in construction works in the city along with a migrant labour population is posing difficulties to the labour department in monitoring the labour scene.

A senior labour department official said that their department has been stretched considering the increased construction activities in the district of late. The only solution is for the government to appoint more staff, he said.

A large migrant labour class that moves from one worksite to another is adding to the department’s cup of woes. “They don’t stick on at any place for any considerable time and move out on being offered even a slightly higher pay,” he said as he wondered how to keep an eye over this segment and ensure their welfare.

As per the Inter State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act (ISMW Act) of 1979, the contractor should register the migrant workers he intends to employ and deposit Rs. 1,000 for each worker.

Labour department officials said that so far close to 4,000 migrant workers had been registered in the district. License for starting the work is issued only after registering the migrant workers. This is to ensure that in the event the contractor denies the worker any benefits, this deposit can be used to compensate the worker.

Though the Central government stipulates deposit of only Rs. 200 per migrant worker, the State government had made it Rs. 1,000.

Significantly, the Act covers only those who work through a contractor but not those who migrate from one site to another as daily labour.

Hence, the majority of those migrant workers who converge on points like Kaloor, Kadavanthra and Thripunithura every morning seeking work are well beyond the net of this Act, the official said.

Legally, the contractors who do not comply with ISMW Act should be prosecuted. However, this calls for detection of the breach in the first place.

The Thrikkakara police arrested four persons in connection with the accident. Those arrested were Paridkunju, 52, Nadakakudi, Brahmapuram; Christopher, 29, Thakkala, Kanyakumari; Manoj Mathew, 42, Jawahar Nagar, Kadavanthra; and Francis, 30, Palluruthy.

They were sub-contractors for Olive Builders. They were produced before Aluva court on Monday.

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