The Hindu Business Line : `Adopt humane approach to labour problems'

THE Health and Family Welfare Department Joint Secretary, Ms Supriya Sahu, on Tuesday called upon labour department officials to take a humane approach in dealing with the labour issues and their rights.

Emphasising the need for acquiring professional knowledge of the various labour legislations, Ms Sahu, who was delivering the keynote address at a training programme for labour department officials, said several officers lacked an in depth understanding of the various labour legislations.

Asking how many officials had actually pulled up plantation managements and pressed them (estate management) to recompense the worker for not providing the basic amenities, she said: "there is a need for a case study on these lines. We have not done any this far".

She recalled the pathetic living conditions of the plantation workers in the Nilgiris without basic amenities, crèche and hospital facility. Ms Sahu, who had earlier served as District Collector of Udhagamandalam, said: "the situation was appalling. Most of the workers were Sri Lankan repatriates. It was a delicate balance which the District Administration and the officials had to manage.

"As labour department officials, we should give up the old approach of negotiation and change with the times. Negotiation skills will have to be improved and the cases will have to be expedited without delay and sensitivity. Nothing can come about in litigation," she said.

According to her, there was a communication gap between the department, management and union representatives. She called upon the officials to visit the estates more frequently instead of going only at the time of a crisis.

The Executive Director of Tea Board in Coonoor, Mr Vikram Kapur, lamented that a negative image about the Indian plantation sector on the global arena kept foreign direct investment in this sector at bay. "Not a single application has been received till date," he said.

More Stories on : Labour Reforms | Tamil Nadu

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