Special squads of the Labour Department on Friday conducted surprise checks at a few construction sites in Kozhikode district to see if workers were given the mandatory break from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in view of sunstroke threat. A labourer from Bihar had died the other day following suspected sunstroke.
There have been allegations that the squads headed by assistant labour officers have not been able to do full justice to their duty owing to election responsibilities. They have also been blamed for not exposing instances of migrant labourers being forced to work at larger construction sites without midday break.
Labour Department officials said the special squads had conducted as many as 61 surprise inspections in Kozhikode district from March 8 to April 5. They added that action had been taken in 16 cases and warning issued to contractors concerned.
In line with the District Collector’s order to prosecute employers forcing labourers to work outdoors between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., the squads will increase the frequency of surprise checks. Squad members said they would also intensify checks based on calls received at the helpline number. A majority of the cases recently exposed were from Vadakara, Koyilandy, Feroke, and Thamarassery, they added.
District Labour Officer (Enforcement) V.P. Rajan said he had submitted a report to the Collector on Friday on the death of a labourer from Bihar due to suspected sunstroke. “The cause for the death can be ascertained only after receiving the post-mortem report. We will submit details of our findings to the Industrial Tribunal in such a way to ensure a reasonable compensation for the labourer’s family,” he told The Hindu.