Local hands for Metro project

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Kochi: Trade unions on Wednesday, came to an agreement with officials of L&T over the issue of employing local workers in the Kochi Metro work. L&T was one of the agencies which had won the contract for Metro work.
As per the agreement, the contractors agreed to give 50 per cent representation to local union members in piling work. For work on the super-structure which demanded more skilled labour, the local participation would be restricted to one-third.
The contractors convened a meeting with the CITU and the INTUC here on Wednesday after they were given a representation by the unions. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation which is executing the project  and implementing the Kochi Metro Rail Ltd had asked the contractors to look into the matter.
According to CITU Ernakulam district president K.N. Gopinath, L&T officials agreed to go by the formula followed by the Builders Association of India (BAI). He clarified that the unions would ensure that the  work would in no way be affected.
“It’s not our policy to stall such a major development work. Our only demanded was that the BAI agreement be followed which is the general policy for construction works. We have also made it clear that those already brought for work from outside should not be replaced”, he added.
INTUC secretary K.P. Haridas said other issues like wages and working conditions would be discussed later since L&T had engaged a number of sub-contractors. He too made it clear that the work would in no way be disrupted. The DMRC had engaged local workers for its work on the North and A.L. Jacob rail overbridges as part of the Metro’s preparatory work.