THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sixty-year-old Raghavan (name changed) begins his duty by 11 am. When it nears 12 pm, he moves onto the sidewalk and stays out, under the scorching sun, bearing a placard featuring the dishes of the hotel. Even during the summers, when there is no respite to the heat and the sun shines with all its intensity, security staff Raghavan's duty also involves canvassing customers into the hotel. The sun is not a concern for him, because the job is his desperate bid to earn and stay afloat.
The sight of hotel staffs standing near sidewalks bearing placards in a bid to solicit customers is a frequent sight. Unfortunately, even with rising mercury levels, the hoteliers aren't putting a stop to this. And people like Raghavan, for whom livelihood trumps over their own health, have to put up with such harsh treatments. "If I think about the heat, I won't be able to make a living," says Raghavan, a Gulf returnee who joined the hotel as security staff. He has to stand in the sun for close to four hours, trying to catch the attention of the customers, even while he hasn't had his afternoon meal. "I have my food at 3 pm. Work takes priority. We are being paid to work, I can have food later. After 3 pm, I just have to man the security, till 8pm. They provide the clothes and the food three times a day for free. And I hope they pay me well," Raghavan's voice trails off.
The plight is the same for the many staff employed to do the job of soliciting customers. "The heat is a problem. But for me the job is very important. So I just go about doing the work I have been given," says another staff. Despite the Labour Department's order against making labourers work during the afternoon hours, the hoteliers are blatantly violating the rule. The restriction to the outdoor work has been brought out between 12 pm and 3 pm due to the spike in the temperatures.
"All directions have been given to the district administration to ensure that hoteliers do not make these people stand under the sun during the peak hours to canvas customers. Although we conducted inspection in the Kazhakkoottam area, we didn't see any such violation there. The inspection is set to continue for a week," says BS Rajeev, district labour officer, enforcement.
The Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) has also condemned the acts of such hoteliers. "The hoteliers can resort to any sort of advertisement although such method of canvassing people is not in line with the Association's style of operation. Moreover, such acts can only be termed as inhumane as it is a violation of human rights. All the hotels must abide by the order, especially at a time when the heat is rising and they risk getting heat strokes," says G Jayapal, general secretary, KHRA.
Directive
The restriction on outdoor work has been brought out between 12 pm and 3 pm due to the spike in the temperatures. Hotel staff standing with placards to solicit customers is a regular scene in the city