THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Labour Department is planning a helpline for the public to lodge complaints about labour issues including ‘Nokkukooli.’ The Labour Helpline will be established either at the Labour Minister’s Office or at the Labour Commissionerate, Labour Minister Shibu Baby John said.Announcing the Labour Department’s 100-day programme here, Shibu said it would enable quick access for the public to Labour officials for lodging complaints. The minister said awareness campaigns and police intervention were required to eradicate the practice of ‘Nokkukooli’ which had become so much embedded.‘’The CPM itself had made its stand clear on the issue. But even their leaders have not been able to stop it,’’ he said, adding that the helpline number would be announced soon. Also on the anvil is a permanent mechanism for dealing with lightning strikes. The committees will be set up at the district level involving top officials to quickly resolve issues and prevent lightning strikes, the minister said. ‘’This facility will also be able to settle disputes in the industrial and IT sectors and to strengthen employer-employee relationships,’’ Shibu said. Within 100 days, the Labour Department will announce a comprehensive Labour Policy, he said, adding that the government was committed to protecting the interests of the working class. A special drive has been planned for checking child labour and anomalies in the employment of migrant labourers, he said. ‘’The Migrant Labour Act and the Contract Labour Act will be strictly enforced. The exploitation is due to inefficient enforcement of these two laws,’’ he said. Migrant labour also has raised concerns about health and law and order situations, the minister said. ‘’Three cases of malaria have been reported to me. There are also crime-related issues,’’ he said. Within 100 days, the Labour Department planned to renovate at least 10 ESI hospitals and reopen one industrial unit that was closed owing to labour dispute, Shibu said.
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