Date:10/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/10/stories/2008041059590900.htm

Tamil Nadu

Registration of unorganised labour: government’s assurance to court

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: The State Government on Wednesday informed the Madras High Court that a G.O. that stated that the work of registration of unorganised labour, verification and distribution of welfare assistance to them would be executed only through the Revenue Department will not be implemented till the scheme already in existence is amended in accordance with law.

The Additional Advocate-General (AAG), P.S. Raman, also said the existing scheme and its implementation would be continued till then.

Petitions disposed

Recording the submissions of the AAG, Justice A. Kulasekaran disposed of the writ petitions in which the G.O. was challenged.

Various manual workers organisations had challenged the G.O. issued last month by the Labour and Employment Department, stating that it was contrary to the Tamil Nadu Manual Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Work) Act.

According to the G.O., the 14 welfare boards for manual workers would continue to function under the control of the Labour and Employment Department. Registration and distribution of welfare schemes would be done by the district administration in all districts. The petitioners’ said the order infringed on the fundamental rights of registered trade unions. They pleaded to the court to quash the G.O. as illegal and arbitrary.