The State government has decided to form a committee to study and make suggestions for improving the working conditions of women labourers in the fisheries sector.
The committee will complete its study within three months, following which the State government will decide on a course of action, Minister for Labour and General Education V. Sivankutty informed the Assembly on Friday. The Minister was responding to a calling attention motion moved by H. Salam, MLA of the CPI(M), on the urgent need to improve the workplace conditions of women labourers in this sector.
Members of committee
The committee would have as its members the Labour Commissioner, Employees’ State Insurance director, Fisheries director and one representative each from the trade unions in the fisheries sector, Mr. Sivankutty said. “Labourers in this sector face great hardships. We can form a committee to study what can be done to improve their working conditions,” he said.
Wage revision
The Minister noted that the government had revised the wages of labourers engaged in fish peeling, canning, freezing and export through a notification on August 2, 2018. The State government had declared minimum wages in 84 sectors. Further, through an order on April 12, 2023, the government had entrusted a subcommittee under the advisory committee on minimum wages for submitting recommendations for the revision of minimum wages in the fisheries sector, the Minister added.
Protective gear
Regular inspections were carried out to ensure that labourers in peeling factories under the ambit of factory rules were issued protective gear such as masks and gum boots, and had facilities including toilets, creche and rest rooms, he said.