Workers to get access to welfare schemes

KOCHI: In blatant violation of the labour norms given by the Labour Department, the plywood manufacturing units in Perumbavoor are operating in complete disregard to the condition of the thousands of migrant labourers who work there.“The District Labour Office has been conducting inspections in the various plywood factories in the Perumbavoor area during the past month. From what we have observed till now, the majority of the workers employed in these factories are migrants from the northern and north-eastern parts of the country.Their working and living conditions are extremely distressing. Instead of the stipulated working time of eight hours, these labourers are made to work for over 12 hours but are paid only 8 hours’ wages.Their working and living environments are also very unhygienic and they do not even have basic sanitation facilities,” said Vincent Alex, joint labour commissioner, Kochi. He added that the labour office will be conducting various awareness camps in the coming months beginning from February 2. Sources with the Labour Office stated that the office had, so far, been in the dark regarding the condition of the migrant workers in Perumbavoor as they had been denied access to the plywood factories by the factory owners.“The cases of jaundice are increasing in the region of Perumbavoor, especially in areas near plywood factories due to the poor sanitation facilities provided to the large migrant population living there. Last week, there was even a case of death due to jaundice in Vengola Panchayat,” said Dr Rameshan K R, who works at the Government Hospital in Vengola. “When a case is diagnosed among them, the migrant labourers usually leave for their native place as they believe in their folk medicines more than allopathy,” he added.District Labour Officer (Enforcement), M K Mohanakumar said that the labour office will be conducting medical camps to assist the migrant workers in Perumbavoor. “Steps will be taken to ensure that all of them are provided with identity cards which will enable them to get benefits under the various welfare schemes meant for their betterment,” he added.