The Ministry of Labour and Employment has rejuvenated 20 control rooms to address wage-related grievances of workers in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As per a statement, the control rooms were set up in April last year. These will also mitigate the problems of migrant workers through coordination with various state governments under the Office of Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) across the country.
According to the statement, "Lakhs of workers used this facility last year. Aggrieved workers will be able to access these control rooms through email, mobile and Whatsapp. The functioning of these control rooms, managed by Labour Enforcement Officers. Assistant Labour Commissioners, Regional Labour Commissioners, and Deputy Chief Labour Commissioners of the respective regions, is being monitored and supervised by the Chief Labour Commissioner (C) at headquarters on a daily basis."
The statement further said that all the concerned officers/officials advised adopting a humane approach to assist the aggrieved workmen to ensure the delivery of timely relief to the needy ones.
"Though pandemic challenges are huge because workers are affected in various ways. But with a team of dedicated officers, They will try to mitigate problems of workers as much as possible.," Chief Labour Commissioner (C) DPS Negi quoted in the statement.
Hundreds of migrant workers, including women and children, out of exhaustion seen laying on the ground with sacks on their heads looking numbly at the hustles of the national capitals.
"We're daily wagers, the Chief Minister should have given us some time before announcing the lockdown. It takes us Rs 200 to reach home. But they are charging Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 now," said one of the migrant labourers asked while sitting on the ground after a long wait at the bus station.
