Kochi: A draft legislation, which proposes two years of jail term and a fine of Rs 1 lakh for demanding nokkukooli (gawking charges), is being framed with the consent of the trade unions in Kerala. All the major trade unions, including CITU, AITUC and INTUC, have reportedly agreed to the draft provisions aimed at amending the Kerala Headload Workers Act of 1978.
The new legislation would include strict provisions that seek to ban the practice of 'nokkukooli', i.e. demanding wages without doing work. The Bill in this regard will be introduced in the next session of the Kerala Legislative Assembly.
The Bill is currently being scrutinised by the law and labour departments.
The state committee of the Headload and General Workers Union, which is affiliated to the CITU, approved the proposals. It had met the other day and held detailed discussions on the proposals in the Bill.
All trade unions have been given a draft of the Bill. The decision to introduce the Bill in the Assembly was taken after the unions conveyed their support.
Seeking wages without doing work, threatening and verbally abusing the employer have been termed as offence under the draft legislation. If punished for more than six months, the labourer would be barred from doing headload work for a year.
As per the proposed law the labourer is not entitled for wages for a job done by machines. Immoral behaviour, extortion, misappropriation or getting drunk during work are also punishable.
The CITU and AITUC are the wings of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India, respectively. The INTUC is part of the Indian National Congress.
