The Labour Commissioner’s order to reschedule working hours in the wake of rising mercury levels has not been implemented in many of the large-scale construction worksites in the district. Though the order permits labourers to stay away from strenuous day-time work between 12 noon and 3 p.m., the majority of them are unaware of it.
Enforcement squads of the Labour Department are yet to launch any field-level inspections to check the violations. Though local labourers in urban areas have been found making use of the directive by opting for the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. shift with noon-time break, migrant workers in the construction sector have been found working in the routine schedule.
When contacted, some of the private contractors claimed that the majority of the migrant workers were interested in working in the old schedule. They also claimed that many such workers were part of small sub-contracting teams and did not want to prolong the work by opting for the revised schedule.
“Like the construction sector, a large number of migrant workers are now continuing with their routine job in quarry units and crushers ignoring the sunstroke threat. No inspections have been carried out in any quarry so far,” claimed an environmental activist from Mukkom. Quarry operators were claiming that workers were used to such extreme weather conditions, he added.
Complaints have also come up against some of the local administrators for their alleged laxity in rescheduling the working hours of labourers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). One of the MGNREGS workers had suffered sunstroke in Thiruvallur panchayat recently. The woman sustained minor burns on her face and ear.
Meanwhile, Labour Department officials said the public would be encouraged to report such violations confidentially to Labour Department squads for prompt action. They also claimed that surprise inspections had been carried out covering the construction sector to ensure the implementation of the directive issued on February 21.
