KOCHI: The Kerala High Court has said headload workers have no right to load and unload consignment of mobile phones and electronic equipment, appliances and devices as they are fragile, delicate and sophisticated articles.
Justice Devan Ramachandran made the observation while allowing a batch of writ petitions seeking police protection by proprietors of electronic shops for employing their own workers for loading and unloading electronic equipment consignments.
The petitioners said these articles are very “delicate and sophisticated”, thus requiring great care and specialised handling. Therefore, they have engaged trained and skilled permanent workers on their rolls for loading and unloading.
Hence, they sought to allow their trained workers to do the job. The court said present-day electronic appliances and equipment contain circuit boards made of delicate fibre glass which contain various types of coils, transistors, capacitors and such others, which are held by tiny solder points. All these components are critical for the device or equipment to operate and a simple bump, pressure point or improper orientation can damage them, thus ruining and destroying their value.
The court observed that electronic articles, equipment or devices which are specified as ‘fragile’ or ‘delicate’ or ‘sophisticated’ by their manufacturers, can be loaded and unloaded with the aid of specialised and trained workers employed by the petitioners.