The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Demand for better safety for construction workers

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Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Demand for better safety for construction workers

Special Correspondent

Increasing accidents at sites are the major concern

‘Labour Department refuses to take action against erring construction companies’ ‘Labourers live in unhygienic tin sheds and
labour camps’

Seeking action: Members of the Construction Workers’ Action Committee sitting in dharna in front of the Labour Commissioner’s office in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Bangalore: Members of the Construction Workers’ Action Committee held a dharna in front of the Labour Commissioner’s office on Bannerghatta Road here on Tuesday to draw the attention of the Government to the increasing cases of accidents at construction sites, resulting in death of workers.

A memorandum was submitted to Labour Commissioner K.S. Manjunath, in which the committee has said that the department officials are allowing construction companies which flout safety norms specified under Building and Other Construction Workers’ Act, 1996, to go scot-free.

A team of the committee visited six accident sites since the beginning of 2008, and recorded the number of deaths of construction workers.

The Labour Department, the memorandum has said, refuses to take action even in cases of blatant violations, under the pretext of being understaffed.

The memorandum said that the workers “who are victims of distress migration”, live in unhygienic tin sheds and labour camps. The majority of the eight to nine lakh migrant workers, especially women, receive wages much lower than the approved minimum wage, it added. Of these, only a few thousands workers are registered with the Construction Workers’ Welfare Board.

The committee has submitted a set of demands to the Labour Commissioner, Minister for Labour B.N. Bache Gowda and Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa.

They have sought action against erring construction companies, payment of minimum wages to workers, strict implementation of safety norms and issue of temporary Below Poverty Line cards to migrant workers.

Besides construction workers, members of civil society groups such as Alternative Law Forum, People’s Union of Civil Liberties (Karnataka), Karnataka Domestic Workers’ Union, Karnataka Janapara Vedike, Samanatha Mahila Vedike, Samata Sainik Dal and others, participated in the dharna.

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