Construction labourers’ rightful needs neglected

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, May 15, 2016: Reports indicate that applications filed by construction labourers seeking financial assistance for the marriage of their children have been pending before the Labour Department for over three years. Similarly, applications seeking scholarship and medical reimbursement have been kept pending for long.

 

 

 

Among the several complaints that representatives of labour organisations put forth before DK DC Adoor .B. Ibrahim for poor response to the membership of Karnataka Building and Other Construction Welfare Board. DC  Ibrahim was participating in a function to distribute pension certificates to 10 construction labourers on May 14. Saturday. District convener of Centre for Indian Trade Union, Vasant Achari, said since 2012 the Labour Department has not renewed the membership of the labourers registered with the board. Another CITU member U. Jayant Nayak said applications seeking pension and compensation for death of construction labourers have been kept pending for over four years.

Another labour activist said applications seeking financial assistance for marriage of their children have not been cleared for over three years. He said applications seeking scholarship for children have been rejected on flimsy grounds that applications have been filled using two different pens.

“Though being a good legislation, relief is not reaching the beneficiaries. When this is the state, how can this inspire labourers to register with the board?” an activist questioned.

Following a few days of indefinite hunger strike, the Labour Department resolved issues related to construction labourers in Udupi. “We will resort to an agitation if issues are not resolved at the earliest by the district administration in consultation with the Board,” he said.

DK DC  Ibrahim asked Assistant Labour Commissioner D.G. Nagesh to hold an adalat on May 29 for resolving issues related to labourers. Hearing construction labourers on second and fourth Thursdays of every month will be taken up.