HYDERABAD:Equal wages, decent working hours and creating adequate awareness among men about harassment in work places were some of the issues raised by members of various non-governmental organisations to the special committee formed by the government of Telangana to safeguard the rights of the women construction labourers.
The committee, comprising members of various labour organisations headed by deputy commissioner of labour A Ashok, organised a workshop in the city on Saturday.
“There is a need for gender sensitisation among men at work places. Women, especially working as construction labourers, are made to work during odd hours in secluded places which threatens their safety,” said Devi, a cultural activist. “As of today, there is no proper system to maintain records of how many women are working in a particular group. In that way, the authority concerned becomes more accountable for the safety of the women working in that particular group,” she said.
The two-hour discussion brought out a number of issues faced by women daily wage labourers.
“There are adequate number of labour laws today that look into minute issues of construction workers. However, their implementation in the various organisations is very questionable and this is when the active participation of NGOs and other stakeholders makes a difference,” said Chandradhar, principal secretary, labour employment training and factories department.
The members of the committee also released a toll-free helpline number 1800 3070 8787 as an aid to ensure the systematic implementation of the labour laws in the state.
“With the helpline number, one can complain about the issues ranging from working hours to child labor,” said Ashok. The helpline number will be working from 9 am to 9 pm.