KOCHI: In a significant development in the ongoing controversy over alleged labour exploitation and abuse at a marketing company in Kochi, the labour department issued a notice to the firm on Monday.
The notice was served to Hindustan Power Links, following an inspection during which the company failed to produce key legal documents, including those related to the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, the Minimum Wages Act, and the Kerala Shops and Commercial Establishments Act. The department has directed the company to submit the required records within five days.
The allegations of labour abuse originated from Keltro, a direct marketing firm in Perumbavoor operating as a franchisee of Hindustan Power Links. As a result, the parent company has also come under surveillance.
As part of the investigation, statements were recorded from 11 employees, where all of them claimed they had not experienced any form of exploitation so far, said an officer with the labour department, who chose to remain anonymous. The inspection began at noon and continued late in the evening.