For the first time in the history of Sabarimala, work on various pilgrim amenity projects has been bogged down by trade union activism.
According to Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) sources, a group of headload workers attached to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) on Wednesday blocked the unloading of a few truck-loads of Sannidhanam-bound building materials to press their demand for jobs for the ‘natives.’
Contractors who have undertaken the work said they had brought skilled workers for transportation of materials between the Pampa and the Sannidhanam and employing trade union workers would create additional expenditure.
TDB chief engineer G. Muraleekrishnan told The Hindu that work on the Annadana Mandapam, Darshan Complex, and the pipe-laying work across the Valiya Nadappanthal had been affected from Wednesday.
A lorry-load of 12 sludge pipes brought from Ernakulam for an emergency work attached to the sewage treatment plant at Sabarimala too was held up at Pampa.
The contractor paid Rs. 3,500 to trade union workers to unload 12 pipes and Rs. 1,500 for loading them in three tractors for transporting it to Sabarimala Sannidhanam on Sunday morning as the pipe-laying work had to be completed before August 7.
“We had no option because the pipes should reach the Sannidhanam at the earliest to avoid inconvenience to the pilgrims,” said a private company spokesman.
CITU leader P.S. Mohanan told The Hindu the workers were from Attathode and Naranammoozhy and their only demand was permission to carry out their work at Pampa too.
Mr. Mohanan said all the 60 CITU workers were ready to do the loading work at the prevailing rate fixed by the TDB.
TDB stanceHowever, TDB member Ajay Tharayuil has made it clear that there was no question of permitting any sort of trade unionism at Sabarimala or any other temples.
Mr. Tharayil said Sabarimala was not a workplace and hence trade unionism should not be permitted there.
