THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The project to streamline headload workers will be expanded to other areas, Labour Minister T P Ramakrishnan said here on Monday. He was speaking at the joint meeting of headload workers’ unions at the Secretariat.
The government policy is to settle any issue in stages, the Minister said. From May 1, the wages for work policy was implemented and action has been taken to prevent unhealthy practices in the headload workers’ sector, he said. With all trade unions supporting the government in this, if problems arise in certain areas, trade unions should cooperate with the problem-solving initiatives of the Labour Department, he said.
Except for Idukki, Wayanad and Kasargod districts, he said, unified wages have been implemented in all districts. It will be implemented in the remaining districts too. Before August 15, district labour officers should evolve a joint consensus of employees and employers, the Minister said. If a solution remains elusive, regional joint commissioners should take further action. If it continues to remain unsettled, the government will issue a notification on unified wages, he said.
The law on headload workers has to be amended and the trade unions should submit any suggestion they may have within a month, Ramakrishnan said. In areas involving schemes, it is better to employ registered labourers, he said. While mechanisation can be implemented in areas where registered labourers can’t do the work, he said, there are instances of owners using other means when labourers can do the work.
The Minister said the government will enquire on complaints that registration and cards are provided to labourers not entitled to such facilities. Currently, assistant labour commissioners are providing cards and, if needed, district labour officers can receive complaints and settle the matter. Should complaints remain, the law has provisions for further appeal, he said. The government is of the view that those eligible should get registration and cards, Ramakrishnan said.