Thiruvananthapuram: The PWD contractor, who had not ensured protective gear to road tarring workers, was compelled to give boots the next day, after DC informed the Labour Department.
However, as PWD officials have told DC that they don’t have any provision to penalise any erring contractor, it looks like this is only the start of a long haul. Still, PWD Chief Engineer Jeevaraj M.N. assured DC on Saturday that they will think of policy changes.
“The safety of labourers is mentioned in the contract. However, if a contractor violates it, there is no penalty clause to deter the contractor. We also do not have the practice of blacklisting contractors. But we can make every effort to change this. To start with, we can attempt an awareness session for contractors, so that they treat labourers better,” he said.
The PWD cannot wash their hands off the responsibility, as they are the principal employers, say officials at Labour Department. When PWD Minister G Sudhakaran was told about the violation, he had promised to take action against this.
The workers’ legs, on Wednesday, were covered in a tar-coloured skin, which according to one of them could be “easily washed off with diesel”. The workers said that while they were not given any boot, that was not such a big deal as this was just “emulsion”. DC later checked with a retired engineer who said that this could be cold mix, which was becoming a popular tarring option.
“Emulsion is also a kind of tar. Though this wouldn’t burn as hot tar, it can still cause skin problems,” the official had said.
The Labour Department could reach the spot only by 4 pm. By that time, the day’s work was over. But the next day, around six boots were arranged for workers who were involved with tarring.
“We were told that the workers were covered not in tar, but something called ‘thinner’. Still we sternly stood for the labourers and instructed the employers to give them boots,” said an official at the department.
