Central trade unions have agreed to the State government’s proposal to put an end to the widely criticised ‘nokkukooli’, the practice of loaders taking money without rendering any service. The decision will come into effect from May 1. The trade unions declared their support for the government’s proposal at a meeting convened by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Thursday.
District Collectors will convene meetings of trade union leaders before May 1 to finalise ways to operationalise the decision. The trade unions also announced their decision to end the practice of supplying loaders to establishments. The Chief Minister assured the trade union leaders that the government would examine ways to address loss of employment. The government’s policy was that workers in each area should get work whenever a new industrial enterprise comes up there.
The meeting was attended by Labour Minister T.P. Ramakrishnan, Anathalavattom Anandan and K. Chandran Pillai (CITU), R. Chandrasekharan and Varkala Kahar (INTUC), K.S. Indusekharan Nair (AITUC), Sonia George (SEWA Union), G. Mahin Abubacker (STU), G. Sugunan (HMS), G. K. Ajith and Sivaji Sudarshan (BMS), Ezhukon Sathyan (KTUC-J), and Vinoba Thaha (UTUC). Labour Commissioner A. Alexander and Chief Minister’s principal secretary V.S. Senthil were also present.
