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Minister denies bonded labour in Union Territory

Photo: T. Singaravelou

Vital report: Minister for Health E. Valsaraj (right) releases the industrial safety bulletin in Puducherry on Friday. Chief Inspector of Factories-cum-Labour Commissioner S.D. Sundaresan receives the first copy. —

PUDUCHERRY: Minister for Health and Labour E.Valsaraj on Friday denied the prevalence of bonded labour or child labour in the Union Territory, though some industrial units employed persons belonging to other parts of the country.

Shortly after releasing the quarterly bulletin on occupational safety, health and environment titled ‘Puducherry Industrial Safety News’ published by the Chief Inspectorate of Factories and Boilers, he said persons from other States including Bihar and Orissa had been working in some of the factories in the Union Territory.

These workers were employed by the managements for certain specialised jobs, he said, adding that the government had ensured that no discrimination was shown to them in the implementation of Minimum Wages Act, Provident Fund and Employees State Insurance Scheme.

Chief Inspector of Factories-cum-Labour Commissioner S.D. Sundaresan who received the first copy of the bulletin, said the migrant workers and their families, who had come from other States, stayed in the factory complexes as they did not know either the local language or English to communicate with the locals.

This did not mean that they were bonded labourers, he pointed out.

Around 8,000 workers were employed in about 200 hazardous industries forming about 10 per cent of the total workforce, Mr. Valsaraj said, adding that though the number of industrial accidents was negligible, the government took stern action against those who did not comply with the safety rules and norms.

“We are trying to maintain strict discipline in this regard, particularly in the wake of problems posed by silicosis [in the Union Territory in 2003],” he said.

According to him, managements of around 10 industrial units had been fined in the last five years for not complying with safety rules.

Steps had been taken to propagate the principles of safety and safety promotional work practice through the Labour Department by conducting programmes such as awareness week, seminars and training, apart from ensuring compliance of statutory stipulations and different legislations, he said.

The medical inspector of factories regularly visited the hazardous factories and maintained a special record of workers, Mr. Sundaresan said, adding that if any worker was found to be having health problems, he would be shifted to another section in the unit.

Mr. Sundaresan said the release of the bulletin coincided with the 60th anniversary of the Factories Act, 1948 and the Central government had declared this year as the ‘Year of Industrial Safety and Hygiene.’ The bulletin would highlight among other things various activities of the Labour Department and analysis of accidents, he said.

He described the bulletin as an important tool in the hands of the workers on behaviour based safety, precautions to be taken in handling hazardous chemicals and measures to avoid noise impairs of the workplace.

The Labour Department proposed to bring out two books relating to guidelines to all factory occupiers and occupational diseases, he said.

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