Disaster Management Lessons from Thekkady

Disaster Management Lessons from Thekkady

Major boat tragedies have claimed many lives in different parts of the country, at regular intervals. Around 41 tourists on board a double-ducker boat, operated by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation(KTDC), were killed when it capzised in one the deepest zones of the Mullaperiyar reservoir in Idukki district of Kerala.

The boat tragedy at Thekkady points to failure to follow basic safety norms, while carrying tourists through a deep reservoir. Though Commissions had inquired into the Kumarakom and Thattekkad boat tragedies and submitted many recommendations to prevent accidents, most of them had not been acted upon.

Experts have pointed out that possibility of a design defect in the boat that met with the accident. Some passengers who survived the tragedy, observed that the boat was in bad condition. It was pointed out that tourists were not given any guidelines to be followed while traveling in the lake.

Experts observed that wearing of safety jackets was a norm followed in other countries while traveling in boats. If the government had the will, this norm that could have been enforced easily. The Justice Narayana Kurup Commission, which inquired into the Kumarakon boat tragedy, had recommended appointment of a Safety Commissioner for inspection of boats. But the government did not act on it. Hardly, any quick response system existed at Thekkady for disaster management, though it was a place visited by many tourists.

Some of the fundamental norms of safety relate to and include the number of passengers taken on board, the safety gadgets and trained rescue personnel to be ready at hand in the vessel, the dos and don’ts for the passengers, and the imperative of ensuring that they indeed adhered to the rules. Unfortunately, these are honored in the breach according to a senior safety official.

Disasters don’t come with notice. So it is in the interest of the institutions to stay prepared. One outstanding feature of any well-coordinated disaster management in which loss of life and property is minimal is a crisis management system. At Thekkady, the accident took place some seven kilometers away from the boat-house, it took time for the rescue boats to get into the act. Bad weather compounded the problem; some passengers could still be rescued. It is a simple question of implementing the safety norms.

Whenever, a disaster strikes, discussions and seminars are conducted immediately. Same was the case after the Thattekkad boat tragedy in 2007. Disaster Management was the theme of most of the seminars and workshops. Many people were given training on disaster management at the workshops, organized by various agencies though-out the State.

Going by the information provided by those who led the rescue operations at Thekkady, none of those people, including those who presented papers or attended the classes were seen at the accident site. According to the police, it was the taxi drivers, auto drivers and the tribesmen in the area who were in the forefront of the rescue operations. Later, Navy and the Fire and Rescue Servvices Department joined the rescuers.

The Kerala Government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the accident in which tourists from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and West Bengal were involved. Non-government organizations could pitch in and launch an awareness campaign which should go some way in securing better compliance of the safety norms by the boat operators and users alike.

INTUC National Conference Kochi

The 29th plenary session of the Indian National Trade Union Congress(INTUC) pro-Congress trade union, which concluded at Kochi, recently, mooted a new labour policy "that will take care of the interests of workers in tune with the changing economic situation." INTUC president G.Sanjeeva Reddy said that the union's proposals included national minimum wages and amendments to the Provident Fund(PF) and Gratuity Acts.

The session's slogan "More productivity, more benefits" generated a heated debate at the discussions. In the context of low productivity in some sectors, INTUC State president R.Chandrasekharan said the slogan focused on the workers' role in increasing productivity and benefits rather than on more wages.

One of the major topics that came up for debate was the national minimum wages issue and the necessary legislation that would empower the Centre to decide on this. Currently the minimum wages are decided by the State governments and different rate prevailed across various sectors. This led to disparities and uniformity was not practical.

Elaborating the INTUC's new labour perspectives, Mr.Reddy said the economic reforms had largely benefited the rich people, industrialists and middle-level traders. The INTUC's response to these challenges was to change globalization fundamentally so that it benefited the working men and women, the unemployed and the poor.

The response revolved around the pillars of sustainable development--economic, social and environmental; universal respect of workers' fundamental rights; decent work for all; promotion of equitable distribution of wealth; organizing workers in the informal and un-organized sectors; security of income through security of jobs; and replacement of contract jobs with new system o that provided income guarantee."

"In order to promote investments, the INTUC promises that there will be no direct action such as strikes or lockouts in new units for a period of five years. Out only demand is that the new investment projects implement the existing labour laws" Mr.Reddy said. He said the INTUC's proposals in relation to provident fund, bonus and rehabilitation of sick industry were also intended to achieve the objective of employment guarantee.

INTUC has demanded a Workers' Capital Trust comprising the pension fund and other social security funds that amount to Rs.7 lakh crore. The Provident Fund Authority holds Rs.6 billion. This should be invested in the Workers' Capital Trust. Similarly, the union has demanded setting up of a Workers' Sector Industries Corporation that would takeover sick industries and fund them to rehabilitate workers. "This is a new concept which the INTUC has brought up to tackle the problems faced by workers in sick units," Mr.Reddy said.

Mr.Reddy maintained that there was need to improve the social security laws. This included amendments to the Payment of Gratuity Act 1972, envisaging a higher quantum of gratuity payments from the current 15 days to 30 days for every year of service. Similarly, the Provident Fund Act need to be amended to increase the rate of contribution from 12 to 15 per cent, he said.

Mr.Reddy called for new legislation to impose restrictions on the practice of employing people on contract. There should be a limit on the number of workers employed on contract. Or the wages of contract workers should be on par with that of permanent employees.

In a message to the INTUC leadership, which was read out by Union Finance Minister Pranad Mukherjee at the session, Congress president Sonia Gandhi lauded the role played by the INTUC in improving the condition of workers belonging to the unorganized sector. She said the organization had played a pioneering role in highlighting the concerns and promoting the interests of the working class. Workers in the unorganized sector constituted over 92 per cent of the country's workforce.

Speaking at the session Union Labour Minister Mr.Mallikarjun Kharge said that the central government had designed projects to upgrade 6906 industrial training institutes in the country to meet international standards. Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalalr Ravi underlined the need for social security schemes for workers. Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said “The public sector will remain with the Government of India and with the public.”

Nearly 6000 delegates including 40 foreign delegates from 13 countries participated in the four day meet. The national conference re-elected Mr.S.Sanjeeva Reddy as the national president, Mr.Rajendra Prsad Singh was elected as the general secretary again. Mr.K.K.nair is the new national treasurer of the INTUC. A 38-member working committee was also elected.

Labour Market Realities in India

Shrinking jobs, pay cuts and loss of perks owing to recession have taken a heavy toll on the labour force in India.

Take the case of Kerala, whose economy depends on the remittance of ordinary Malayalee workers in West Asia. State Finance Minister Dr.Thomas Issac told the State Assembly, recently, that two lakh persons were likely to return to the State from Gulf countries.

Unfortunately, the threat of a return of Gulf migrants en masse,and the consequent fall in remittances, and the worsening unemployment situation come at a time when the signs of the global crisis are already visible in other sectors of the State’s economy. Prof.Irudaya Rajan, at the Centre for Development Studies(CDS) in Thiruvanathapuram, has observed that the State, with its export-oriented agriculture and under developed industry, has been more integrated with the world economy than many other States of India. Its best bet for survival has long been its exports of cash crops, spices and fisheries, all of which are now facing falling revenues under the global crisis, says a study by the CDS. This development has adversely affected the employment prospects of lakhs of ordinary workers in Kerala.

Tourism and IT, its other major revenue earners too are affected. Tourist arrivals are officially expected to go down by 30 to 35 per cent. Industry sources said hotels are only half full, chartered flights have been suspended and many more house-boats than before are being dry-docked.

An analysis of the media reports reveal that unemployment in India’s industrial and services sectors is on the rise. Some analysts point out that “unemployment in India’s industrial and services sectors is on the rise. If earlier growth was being described as “job less” the problem now is that growths that is lower comes with job losses.”

The recessionery impact that the global financial and economic crisis has contributed to huge job losses in various segments of the labour market. The Labour Bureau conducted a sample survey covering eight sectors to arrive at an estimate of the job loss. On the basis of this limited sample, it arrived at a figure of about half a million.

An Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India(ASSOCHAM) study projected that in one year, one crore jobs will be lost. Trade union leaders argue that it will be much more. The job loss have been mainly in three sectors, textiles, leather and metal production. In Gujarat, three lakh workers have lost their jobs in the diamond cutting and polishing industry.

Central trade union leaders in press statements, recently, alleged that “bad economic and industrial policies of the central government” have cost the livelihood of employees and workers across the country. They said as many as 20 lakh have lost their jobs recently, and another 10 lakh may lose their in coming days.

One report said in one automobile factory, workers would now work only for three days a week and get no salary for the rest of the week. In several sectors, the managements, taking advantage of the crisis, are making workers do 12 hours a day without overtime.

Trade union sources said that voluntary retirements is being pursued vigorously by companies. The management of the steel industry has decided to retire 500 workers. Despite giving all kinds of concessions to special economic zones, exports have declined and retrenchment has taken place on a large scale.

One of the most significant attack of industry has been on employment tenure. This started in the 1990s with a series of voluntary retirements measures in the private sector. Many factories laid off tenured workers, luring them with carrots of large sums of money, along with the stick of violence. The public sector too followed suit in pressing voluntary retirement schemes(VRS), which was also a prelude to give a push for gradual privatization. Government regulation on industrial closure, while still on the statute books, became virtually non-existent. Instances of refusal by employers to negotiate with unions, or even recognize unions chosen by workers as set industry norms, are extensive.

It was also the period when contract employment stands dialuted. In a bid to further de-regularise, “trainees” are hired to perform tasks of full-time workers. Even in sectors where tenure of employment exists on paper, lack of union strength and weak labour laws has made it a sham. As a result, non-payment of provident fund and gratuity, overtime without payment, harassment at work place and arbitrary dismissals are rampant.

The only real wage protection, in today’s scenario, is the Minimum Wages Act. However, the implementation of this Act is woefully inadequate. Minimum wages are low and revised infrequently making it impossible to eke out an existence above poverty level. While there is decline in the employment in the organised sector, there is a huge increase in the number of casual workers. It is estimated that nearly 30% of the work-force today comprises of casual workers whose exploitation is a well known fact.

The Trade Union Act has already been amended, making it difficult for workers to register a union even. It has been described as making provisions that would reduce multiplicity of unions,reduce the number of ‘outsiders’ prohibit a Union of State Minister from being a member of the union executive. The Second National (Ravindra Varma) Commission on Labour has felt it would further be desirable to provide a ceiling on the total number of unions of which an ‘outsider’ can be a member of executive bodies. In its report, the Commission rejected the democratic demand for recognition of trade unions through secret ballot.

The current phase of liberalization has also freed the cap on executive pay and profit sharing. This has contributed to the growing income inequality in the country. Furthermore, while there is no ceiling on executive pay, bonus for workers remains capped. In 2007, the bonus ceiling for workers was raised after a gap of 14 years and is still below the wages of skilled workers. With the economic slowdown, workers are increasingly falling back on premature with-drawl of provident fund to tide over the present crisis.

According to the National Sample Survey Organisation(NSSO)total employment in both the organized and un-organised sectors is 397 million, of which just 28 million is in the organized sector. Labour laws in India cover only the workers in the organised sector, of which about 20 million are in the public sector. For remaining 369 million workers, there were no social security or welfare legislation, until the Un-organised Workers Social Security Act of 2008.

Various studies on the unemployment situation point out that India’s labour force is growing at a rate of 2.50% annually but employment is growing at only 2.30%. It is also acknowledged now that there is large scale under-employment in the country.

The International Labour Organisation’s(ILO) World of Work Report 2008 records that from 1990 onwards, wage inequality has risen across the globe including in India.

Juan Sanavia, Director General of the International Labour Organisation in a recent newspaper article observed that:”world unemployment could increase by 20 million by the end of 2009—surpassing the 200 million mark of global unemployment for the first time.”

The latest data of the ILO shows that by next year unemployment could hit global rates between 6.50 per cent and 7.40 per cent. This would roughly be equal to 210 million and 239 million unemployed world wide.

This is the situation when trade unions are regrouping and confronting the political establishment for better regulation of labour rights and greater control over industry and capital.