Jharkhand wants labour safety MoU with 10 states

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Hemant Soren government has drafted a memorandum of understanding to ensure safety of migrant workers, which it plans to sign with 10 states that host a large concentration of labourers from Jharkhand. The MoU stipulates rules and regulations to be followed by states to ensure safety and wellbeing of migrant workers from Jharkhand.

The draft MoU, accessed by ET, says an inter-state coordination committee comprising representatives of both states, experts and stakeholders would be formed to work for labour welfare and enforcement of acts applicable to migrant workers.

It proposes a nodal officer of the rank not below additional/joint labour commissioner for coordination on matters related to safe movement of workers between Jharkhand and other states.

«Based on our experiences, the state government will explore all possibilities to take up the issue of safe, accountable and non-exploitative engagement of migrant workers by organisations under the Government of India,» a state official told ET.

Among the 41 rescued at Silkyara, 16 were from Jharkhand. The state has sent three officials to the site for their safe return.

Odisha is also working on well-being and safety of five state workers trapped in the tunnel.

Labour minister Sarada Nayak and officials have been camping near the site. «Our priority is to bring workers safely back home,» Odisha labour commissioner Thirumala Naik told ET.

«There are provisions for safety of migrant workers under the Inter State Migrant Workmen Act and Building and Other Construction Workers Act. We will see how to deal with it,» he said.