Daijiworld Media Netwok- Mangalore (SN/SP)
Mangalore, Jan 24: S K Mukhyopadhyay, chief labour commissioner, visited Mangalore Airport on Friday January 23 and held discussions on the issue of payment of minimum wages to the loading workers.
Speaking on the occasion, Naveen D'Souza, member of the Airport Authority Advisory Committee, explained about various problems being faced by the loading workers at the airport. He said that the airlines which function in the airport are not even paying the minimum wages for which the workers are eligible. The commissioner said that the department is feeling helpless as loading activity has not been included in the Minimum Wages Act. The workers claimed that in addition to loading, they also attend to the cleaning work for two hours at the airport. The representatives of the airlines however, contended that the workers do cleaning job for only half an hour everyday.
The commissioner talked to loaders belonging to different agencies on the occasion.
He even ordered the Labour Act Implementing Officer to verify the functioning of the loading workers and file a detailed report about the payment of minimum wages to the loaders, with the Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner Bangalore within 30 days.
M R Vasudev, director, Airport Authority, officials of the union department of labour and heads of airline companies were present.