Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram   

Minister, partyman differ on headload Act

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Mar. 3. The Labour Minister, Babu Divakaran, and his senior party colleague, K.C. Vamadevan, could not hide their divergent perceptions about the legislative measures needed to regulate headload workers as they discussed the efficacy of the Kerala Headload Workers' Welfare Fund at a function here today.

While the Minister seemed sold on the idea of reining in the headload workers through the recently-enacted Kerala Loading and Unloading (Regulation and Restriction of Unlawful Practices) Act, Mr. Vamadevan, who is also the chairman-designate of the Kerala Headload Workers' Welfare Fund Board, seemed hardly in agreement with him. In the latter's opinion, the earlier Kerala Headload Workers' Act of 1978 was competent enough to handle the restrictive practices of labour, but what the State lacked was an effective enforcement mechanism.

Mr. Divakaran, who released a case study of the implementation of the Kerala Headload Workers' Welfare Fund Scheme in Chalai market in the capital, said the trade unions were, in general, of the view that the 1978 Act should be extended to all parts of the State and that he had argued against it because the cost of running the headload workers' welfare fund had reached prohibitive levels and there was a sharp rise in unhealthy practices.

Mr. Vamadevan felt that the problem arose due to the insincerity of successive Governments in enforcing the Act. Recalling the circumstances that led to the legislation, he said it had brought about a semblance of order to the chaotic labour scene and done much to ensure security of livelihood to the headload workers.

If the workers were to blame for several of the restrictive practices in the market areas where it had been implemented, it should also be remembered that the trade unions had helped in the dilution of its provisions for their survival and the traders did the same to ensure that the actual record of the loading and unloading done in their shops and establishments did not reach the sales tax authorities, he said.

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