KOCHI: “Our labour sector should be dynamic. Headload workers must be trained to handle modern machinery and technology so that they do not lose out on new job opportunities.” This tweet by Kerala Labour Minister V Sivankutty in July surprised many. For communists are not known for their technology-friendly stance. And an open call to headload workers to equip themselves with the latest technology was unimaginable, at least until recently. Communism, as they say, is a relic from the past.
In the mid-1980s, CPM was at the forefront of leading anti-computer protests in Kerala. Going back further, to the 1970s, Left parties had opposed the use of tractors in paddy fields. The common concern on both occasions was that new technologies would trigger job losses, be it in offices or paddy fields.
However, under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, there seems to be a clear change in Left parties’ approach towards technology as well as anti-labour practices. After all, it was CPM that banned on May 1, 2018, the ‘nokkukooli’ – a decades-old practice used by the state’s headload workers to extract exorbitant amounts of money without actually doing any work.
During TNIE’s ‘Express Dialogues’ series, Industries Minister P Rajeeve was asked about the stiff attitude of trade unions in general. He said the unions have changed a lot. “Naturally, workers will agitate when they lose jobs. Theatre owners protest when OTT platforms are launched. We all have to change considering the developments and changes in technology,” he had said.
On the tech side, there is another thing that this CPM-led government is doing: Entering into direct competition with private players in various sectors, starting with internet service provider (K-FON), to an Uber-like taxi/auto aggregator app (Kerala Savari), and Netflix-like OTT app (CSpace). The government’s approach seems to be: “If you can’t beat them, join them.” But will the strategy succeed? It’s fair to say that it’s going to be a tough task.
How coastal car transport was nipped in the bud
The question of how ready headload workers are to train themselves in latest technology can be answered by an incident that occurred at Cochin Port in 2016.When the MV Dresden, carrying 500 cars, arrived at the port in May, it was heralded as a new beginning as it would lead to removal of thousands of trucks from the roads.
Car handling is considered highly prestigious and also eco-friendly as it reduces pollution on the roads. A container truck can typically carry seven to eight medium-sized cars, while a vessel like MV Dresden can ferry up to 4,300 cars in one shipment.
However, trade unions insisted on unloading the vehicles themselves. Following this, another Ro-Ro ship carrying car cargo skipped Cochin Port. The trouble car companies/car cargo vessel face is that these are new cars coming straight from factories in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Chennai, and require expert drivers to unload.
The drivers drive the cars through a hatch on the side of the ship, which has a rampway that connects to the pier. “If the driver is not an expert, it can cause considerable damage to the cars,” a partner of a firm in charge of unloading cars had told me. No wonder, coastal transport of cars to the state – Kerala is a big market for passenger cars, selling about 1.5-1.8 lakh units per annum – has not taken off despite its huge potential.