Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Plan for new law on loading, unloading

Special Correspondent

Panel to examine reform of liquor law

Thiruvananthapuram: The Government is planning to scrap the Kerala Loading and Unloading (Prohibition and Intimidation or Other Unlawful Practices Act, 2002) as it was draconian in content, the Labour and Excise Minister P K Gurudasan said in the Assembly on Tuesday.

Replying to the debate on the demands for grants for Labour and Excise, Mr. Gurudasan said several provisions in the Act, particularly Section 5, which was draconian in nature, was not acceptable to the Left Democratic Front. He said provisions empowering the police to interfere in loading and unloading disputes, powers to terminate services, etc. were against the grain of labour welfare that the State was known for. He said the Government proposed to bring in a comprehensive law as a replacement.

Mr. Gurudasan said the Government had appointed an expert committee to examine the comprehensive reform of liquor law, which was introduced by the British rulers in 1903. The Labour Department was in the process of preparing a Bill to prohibit drinking in public places such as inside vehicles and other places. A new machinery to test the quality of toddy and differentiate between good and adulterated toddy had been installed in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode.

The Labour Minister said that Kerala had earned wide appreciation for some of the steps taken to strengthen labour laws. Its demand to apply labour laws to Special Economic Zones and IT and ITES parks had been widely welcomed. In a prelude meeting before the International Labour Organisation Conference, Kerala had opposed certain provisions that strengthened the hands of the managements in labour disputes. The meeting accepted Kerala’s demand to strength and protect the existing labour laws, he said.

The Government would bring in a Trade Union Recognition Bill that would be within the purview of the Industrial Disputes Act. The Labour Department proposed to meaningfully utilise the Rs.6 crore available under a social security scheme of the Central Government. This would be utilised for the uplift of workers in the beedi, handloom and other traditional sectors. The Government had selected Childline, a non-government organisation, to implement the Centrally sponsored child labour scheme.

Mr. Gurudasan said the Government had submitted a proposal to the Centre for converting 13 Industrial Training Institutes into centres of excellence. It had also earmarked Rs.2 crore for setting up finishing schools to equip diploma holders get employment. He said Rs.1 crore each would be earmarked for setting up a Design Centre to upgrade handicraft manufacture and job clubs.

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