Employers have the right to appoint workers without interference from trade unions, Labour Minister V. Sivankutty has said. Observing that trade unions were interfering in the appointment of labourers at many construction sites, he said it went against the State government’s stand on the issue and would create an unhealthy trend.
Chairing a meeting of the labour relations board here on Friday, the Minister directed the Labour Commissioner to investigate complaints about the high-handedness of trade unions. He said the government would not tolerate any activity that tended to disturb the development-friendly climate in Kerala, though it was committed to protecting the legitimate rights of workers.
Inspections in estates
The meeting decided to carry out joint inspections by the Industries and Labour departments in estates to resolve the issues faced by plantation workers. It also resolved to strengthen the functioning of welfare fund boards and address complaints about denial of minimum wages. Mr. Sivankutty told the meeting that efforts would be made to modernise the traditional industries sector.
Industries Minister P. Rajeeve; Elamaram Kareem, MP; and trade union representatives participated.
